Before purchasing a furnace for my current home, I did a good deal of research. Because of the especially long, harshly cold winters in the local area, I wasn’t anxious with centralized cooling capabilities. I strictly wanted a furnace that could actually handle temperatures down to setback twenty-five and provide long-term reliability. I learned that there are some major downsides to heaters that use air to transport heat energy. As the air passes through the ductwork, a significant amount escapes through holes and imperfections. The air also picks up contaminants such as dust and bacteria that then gets distributed into the living space. When the hot air finally flows from the vents, it tends to rise straight up to the ceiling and only fall back down once it has cooled off. A boiler uses water to transport heat. Water is much more effective at retaining heat, making a boiler attractively effective and efficient. Rather than vents that limit furniture arrangement, a boiler can accommodate any configuration of radiant floor heating, baseboard heaters or slimprofile radiators. The heat is infused into the air, eliminating cold spots, drafts and unpleasant temperature change. The temperature from floor to ceiling never varies more than three degrees from the control unit setting. While a furnace is a legitimately complex machine, a boiler has few moving parts. With annual service, a hydronic furnace tends to be especially reliable and can provide upwards of three decades of operation. Another advantage of a boiler is the self-explanatory set up of zone control. An independent control unit in each room allows for personalized temperature settings.