As the name suggests, a dual fuel heating system is a heating system that uses two fuels. It’s that simple in one respect.
These fuels are usually either gas and electricity (in what’s known as a “combi boiler”) or gas and a heat pump (in a mixed furnace).
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What is a Dual Fuel Heating System?
Dual fuel heating is any form of heating that uses more than one heat source. The two main types are boilers that use a combination of gas and electric, and furnaces that use a mixture of gas and heat pumps.
The heating system will alternate which type of fuel it uses depending on several factors, including the season, temperature, or even your choice.
The main benefit of the heat pump/furnace is that it allows you to make the most out of the available resources, but with a backup option should you run out of them.
Main Types of Dual Fuel Heating:
As mentioned earlier, the two main types of dual fuel heating are furnaces/heat pumps, and alternatively a gas/electric boiler.
Let’s start with the gas and heat pump. Usually, these heaters will use gas when the outside is 39ºF or lower, and the heat pump when it’s 40ºF or higher.
Gas is a fossil fuel, which ignites easily and can efficiently power your home. However, heat pumps are better for the environment.
A heat pump will take heat from outside and bring it into your home. The gas or heat pump will heat up a chamber within the furnace, and that hot air will spread throughout the house.
You can also have a dual fuel boiler, which uses a combination of gas and electricity. Both heat sources will heat up a vat of water, which then travels around the house (via a network of pipes) to heat it.
How do Dual Fuel Heating Systems Work?
In reality there is no single answer to this question.
It all depends on which two fuels are being used.
For example, suppose you have a gas furnace/heat pump. In that case, thermometers will detect the outside temperature and switch heating methods accordingly.
Sometimes, the change can even be manual. For example, if you have an electric towel rack, which is also part of the central heating system. If you want the towel rack on but the other radiators off, you need to flick a switch on the towel rack. This flick means the towel rack will be heated by electricity rather than gas.
In some systems, such as a combi-boiler, there may be a constant gas and electricity supply. However, the quantity of each will be less than it would be in a single fuel heating system.
Benefits of Dual Fuel Heating Systems
If you’re unsure whether to get a dual fuel heating system, here are some benefits.
1. Energy efficiency: To help lower your heating bills, dual fuel systems allow you to use whichever method is most efficient at heating your home. This prevents you from being at the mercy of a single heat source.
2. Continual comfort: When the primary heat source isn’t working, the secondary takes over. So, you are never left feeling cold or uncomfortable.
3. Cost-effective: Depending on various factors, different heat sources cost more to start and run. However, when you use dual fuel, you can use whichever is cheapest at the time.
4. Fewer harmful gases: Gas heat sources often generate carbon dioxide. However, when you lessen the gas you use, you also reduce your carbon footprint.
Downsides of Dual Fuel Heating Systems
As great as dual fuel heating systems are, they are not perfect.
Firstly, they can be costly. The total cost of a dual fuel heat source can range from $2500 to $10,000. It’s essentially buying two boilers or two furnaces. So, certainly not inexpensive to setup.
Secondly, they take up more space than single-fuel heating systems. This might be a disadvantage for people living in apartments or smaller homes.
Costs of Dual Fuel Systems
Providing costs is never an exact science, as the market can change at any time and especially during periods of change, but to give you an indication, the cheapest heat pump/gas furnace will be approximately $2,200 and the most expensive approximately $10,245.
As for the electric/gas boilers, the cheapest is around $2500, and the most expensive is about $5000.
Therefore, although dual fuel may save you money in the long term, it does require a higher upfront investment.
And Finally…
If you use electric heating but also have a wood-burning stove. You have electric radiators in each room and a wood-burning stove in the central space.
This is not automatically a “dual fuel heating system”.
It only counts as a “dual fuel heating system” if the same system uses different fuels. The example of wood stove and electricity are dual-system, not dual fuel, as they heat separate areas and use separate equipment.
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We hope this helps, and for everything else home heating stick with CosyWarmer.com