Thursday, September 09, 2010

Boilers & Water Heaters - What's the Difference?

Many homeowners aren’t sure of the difference between their boiler and water heater. The main difference is that a boiler heats the water for your heating system, whereas a water heater is designed to supply hot water to faucets and showers in your home.

Boilers contain water which is heated and converted to steam, typically fueled by gas or oil. The steam is sent through a closed series of pipes, such as radiators or convectors, which give off heat to warm a space. As the steam cools, it returns to a water state and is returned to the boiler for re-heating. In contrast, most water heaters use either gas or electricity to heat the water and then provide it to the interior of the home for domestic uses.

This is why boilers are found in the heating supplies category on SupplyHouse.com and water heaters are found in the plumbing supplies category. We have a huge selection of both boilers and water heaters from top brands. We have many sizes and types available and our Boiler Finder tool makes it easy to choose the one that's right for you!