For the younger generations, it’s hard to imagine a time when no houses had forced-air furnaces. It wasn’t until the 1930s that coal-fired forced-air furnaces became available and homeowners began having them installed. Other heating systems before that time included wood fireplaces and stoves, coal furnaces without fans, and radiant heat derived from steam or hot water warmed by the burning of coal. These days, about 70 percent of houses get their heat from furnaces that distribute warm air with fans. When those systems break down, people want prompt Furnace Repair in Tacoma Wa. Some homeowners in this region have wood stoves they can use to heat the building, but they typically have a furnace too. Obviously, people who have the option of heating with wood can wait a bit longer for service than someone who might have to rely on an electric space heater or an inefficient fireplace.
When natural gas pipelines became available, homeowners embraced the opportunity to give up coal as a heating fuel. The same was true of people who didn’t have access to natural gas but could order delivery of heating oil and liquid propane gas. Technicians who provide Furnace Repair in Tacoma Wa generally can fix appliances fueled by gas and heating oil, although oil furnaces are very uncommon in this part of the country.
Liquid propane gas furnaces are normally used by rural property owners where natural gas pipelines have not been extended from the municipality. Even when pipelines finally do reach rural neighborhoods, some homeowners choose to stick with propane. Natural gas and propane furnaces are nearly identical except for some conversion equipment. Technicians from a company like Dicks Heating & Air Conditioning can fix problems with either type as well as furnaces that use heating oil. Coal heat in residential settings has become exceedingly rare in most parts of the nation because of the work and dirt involved. Homeowners dealing with bitterly cold winters and those that are relatively near coal mines are more likely to choose that form of heat. It’s unlikely that people in the Tacoma region will ever rely on coal as a primary source of heat again.
