Phase Seven - Reflecting on Research

1.      I plan to use more than just three sources in my FAR than I used in my blog project. I feel like more than three sources were necessary to cover every important aspect of my paper thoroughly and completely. I used about ten sources, including some not used in my blog project, but I felt that the blog sources were the ones that I had the best grasp of and were ultimately the most helpful in writing my paper. Following the procedures such as summarizing and the CRAAP analysis helped me to get a much better grasp on my sources and understanding them better led to a more successful writing of my paper.

2.      My knowledge of the topic has grown significantly since February in many ways. What I felt was the most significant though was that I learned so much more about the future of gas heating and how much it has grown in recent years, including the outlook of prices. Learning more about the future of something helped me to make recommendations accordingly, which was the entire overlying idea of the FAR. I learned that the cost of natural gas is much more likely to remain stable unlike gasoline used for fuel, which the prices are unstable and unpredictable. Overall, I learned a great deal about the future of gas heat, and from my research, it should still be the most popular form of heat in the United States in 5-10 more years.

3.      The analytical question(s) I used for writing my paper was: Why is gas heating the overall best method of heating to use for a home in Pennsylvania? This question focused more the reasons why gas heating is the best and less on just looking at all the heating systems like a typical “what” question would.

4.      I feel like researching with guidelines over a longer period of time has really helped me to get the most out of my research, the most out of my sources, and ultimately will help me produce a great paper. The way we analyzed each source in different ways really helped me personally get more important and quality information from the sources I found because I had a better idea of what I was looking for. Also, I really thought that writing about each one in this blog was a great idea because it gave me practice discussing the information from each source for when I write the actual paper, as I will be using the information gathered from these sources multiple times in my paper. I also thought that because it was spread out over a long period of time, I was able to write and research more efficiently and with the best quality because there was no rushing but more getting sources and analyzing them for what they are.

5.      If there was one thing I could have changed, it would have conducted interviews back when I was still in the research stage before I was actually writing the paper. Internet sources can be great and I found some excellent ones, but using the experts I deal with in my everyday life and job proved to be a great source of information and advice. This also ties into finding multiple types of sources. I used a lot of journal/magazine articles and looking back now, I wish I would have used more internet sources and, as I said, interviews to help me get a grasp on the topic. Honestly, I learned the most in the two interviews I conducted than I did probably in a lot of the other research. This is something that I will learn from for any future research reports I will need to write. 

Blog Phase 6: Bringing it all Together

Austin, Veronica (2011) Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that gas furnaces cost less to run and burn cleaner than their oil counterparts? if I make the switch, how long should I expect it to take for me to pay back my initial investment? and are there any greener options I should consider? Boston, MA. Westport, United States, Westport: Earth Action Network, Inc. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/911509340?accountid=11302

This article was originally a letter written to the editors of The Environmental Magazine by an owner of a large house in Boston. She was inquiring about gas heating and whether it actually was cheaper and more environmentally safe than oil heat. The editor responded in a few paragraphs and began by saying that in recent years, gas, be it propane or natural, has been cheaper than oil. This article noted that oil prices are very likely to remain higher than gas prices in the forseeable future and that most homes that still use oil heat are in the Northeastern US and were built back when oil was the cheapest way to heat a home. This article also states that even though gas puts off less harmful byproducts into the atmosphere than oil, there are alternative, more environmentally sound heating sources such as geothermal or solar.

This article was published by a professional environmental magazine, which makes pretty sound the fact that the editors are qualified to be writing about what they are writing about. The information found in this article is also very relative and helpful to my topic because it speaks directly about some of the qualities of gas and oil heat. This article was not biased towards any particular subject, but the evidence to support the main ideas was extremely strong nonetheless. For all the main ideas about prices, environmental issues, etc. there were several sentences of evidence to back up the ideas. Also, for being just a response to a question, I feel like it sounded incredibly professional and was well-written without spelling or grammar mistakes in any way. I would feel very comfortable citing this source in my paper because it has helpful, reliable, and relative information and it comes from a credible magazine source.

One thing that I learned from this article that I did not already know was that most of the oil heating systems that are still around are in the Northeastern Unites States. I knew that oil furnaces are nowadays few and far between, but this kind of came as a shock to me in a region where gas heating has become so prevelant. From my own experience, I understand that oil only accompases for 8% of heating across America in the current day. The HVAC distribution company that I work for no longer even sells oil furnaces unless it is a special order because there is no demand for them since more effeicient and clean sources of heat have been around. I found this source overall very interesting because it discussed a lot of ideas that I have not been  exposed to very much, including oil heating itself.

N,A. (2010). Help Choosing a Furnace for your Home. Perfect Air Heating and Air Conditioning. Retrieved April 5, 2013 from http://www.iwantperfectair.com/furnace-dupage/afue-furnaces-chicago.html

This article was all about the different kinds of gas furnaces. It discussed the difference between an 80 percent efficient and a 90 percent effiecient furnace and how each one could affect costs initially and in the long run. It also talked about furnaces that run in multiple stages. The higher number of stages the furnace has, ultimately it will have the chance to be more effiecient. Other mechanical designs that furnaces have were also discussed  such as venting systems and larger gas piping.  The article also talked about which kind of furnace would be best according to particular amount of time. For example, if you are building a home and plan on living there for a long time, which type of gas furnace should you put in it? The higher percentage of efficiency and the higher the amount of stages will ultimately lead to longevity (i.e. a 95% furnace with three stages would last longer AND be more efficient than a single-stage 80% furnace). This article even touched on installation processes and the typical warranty plans of gas furnaces.

As far as credibility, this article basically states only industry facts and has really no arguments or extensive topics that would require a very credible author. There was no bias present in this article, so it makes a good source strictly for numbers and facts. Those numbers and facts are directly related to my topic and will be extremely helpful when writing my FAR report. I also feel that these facts were explained and supported in an extremely effective way so that they were useful as well as understandable. This article is also fairly recent and has many links to other related articles and separate pages that could also be helpful. This article, as I said, is mostly basic industry facts about gas furnaces, and I would feel comfortable citing this source because it is current and has good, factual information that will be required when it comes time to write my paper.

I learned a lot from this article, but one thing that stuck out is that some furnaces have two pipes for airflow and some only have one. When a gas furnace operates, it needs to vent out air from the flames and also continue to bring fresh air in. This process of bringing in primary air can be done with or without a separate pipe. It could be done just by a shutter in the side of the furnace. Just days ago, we received an email at work saying that we would no longer be selling 80% efficient furnaces and would only have 90% on the market, so from this, I found out that 80% furnaces are on the phase-out. This personal experience could play into my reaserch and writing because I obviously would not recommend 80% furnaces if they are phasing out. I found this source to be very interesting because it talked a lot about facts and specific designs that I had not known much about up until this point. It’s always a plus to learn more about your topic and this source taught me a lot about furnace design that I did not already know. 

Blog Phase 5

H, A. (2013) The Reason Why Electric Fireplaces Should Be Used To Heat Your Home. Best Appliances To Buy. Retrieved 3/26/2013 from http://www.bestappliancestobuy.net/the-reasons-why-electric-fireplaces-should-be-used-to-heat-your-home/

This article argues the idea that electric fireplaces and electric space heaters are generally a better form of heating than traditional wood or gas heating. It argues that electric heaters are more economical to buy and to run than gas heat, and that they require a lot less effort than a traditional woodstove or wood fireplace. On top of that, these electric fireplaces and heaters don’t require expensive and uneconomical installation (ductwork, chimneys, etc) like woodstoves and gas furnaces both do. Finally, this article stresses the idea that these electric heaters do not require a professional to install them. They simply can be plugged in to a receptacle in the wall and placed in any room of the house.

What interested me most about this article was the idea of electric heating installation requires much less parts and labor, which in turn requires less money at the time of the initial installation. One thing that this article stressed that I never really considered much was the idea that not only are the electrical installations cheaper than gas installations, but the extensiveness and complication of the installation is minor. When installing a gas furnace, it requires connection with the gas company to attach a gas line to the building, installing ductwork and vents to blow the air throughout the building, and also vent pipes or a chimney. This is a lot of effort when considering the idea of just plugging a space heater into a wall. Since installation costs are a large portion of my research, this segment of the article was very helpful and taught me something useful. Although costs weren’t mentioned specifically, it is obvious that it would be cheaper to install an electric fireplace or heater because it requires no more money than to buy the unit itself. This is something that I could take into consideration when continuing my research.

This article also raises more questions about what would need to be included with a gas furnace, including ductwork and vent piping/chimney. This raised questions such as, “what goes into ductwork installation?” and “what scenarios could make ductwork and vent pipe installation a significant challenge?” After looking into it a little more, the process of installing ductwork can be a lot more complicated than what I had initially realized. Some smaller homes or one story homes would require extremely difficult and extensive installation, which would in turn mean more money due at installation. This issue will be factored into my research now, since it was not something I had thought of before.

Progressive Heating and Air (2013). Benefits of Gas Heating. Progressive Heating and Air. Retrieved 3/26/2013 from http://progressiveac.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/benefits-of-gas-heating/

This article fights for the overall idea that gas heat is a better way to go than other forms of heat (electric heat is mentioned specifically). Something I noticed about this article is that it says, specifically, that the cost of owning and operating a gas furnace is lower than owning an electric furnace or large heater. This, however, is the exact opposite of what is mentioned in the first article where it states that owning a gas furnace is much more expensive than other forms of heat, such as gas and wood. This is an obvious and significant disagreement between two very differently focused sources.

This disagreement is important and significant because both of these articles argue different ways that the form of heat they are defending is superior to other forms. With both sources saying specifically that it is more economical to own that specific type of heat without going into much detail, this means that different sources of the same type will have to be found to get more information. Potentially finding another source or more about each type of heat or finding more detailed sources strictly about prices will provide a better idea about the exact cost of each specific aspect of each type of heating and installation. From an earlier source I found, I learned that gas heat typically is more expensive to install but cheaper in the long haul, while electric on the other hand is the exact opposite. These findings, however, should also be confirmed with another source. These two articles say that each type of heat they are discussing is overall more economical but does not give quite enough detail to break it down into specific unit and installation costs. This disagreement is something that is very significant to my research, and locating more sources to get a little better idea about these types of heat will be very important when writing my final paper. 

Blog Phase 4

Lilyestrom, J. R. (2012). Low-cost natural gas - what's not to like? Power Engineering, 116(5), 12-12. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1022338533?accountid=11302

Summary:

John Lilyestrom, in his 2012 article “Low-Cost Natural Gas – What’s Not to Like?”, discusses how  the natural gas supplies are abundant and the prices lower than they have been at any point in recent history, and the increase of shale gas production makes it unlikely for prices or supply to change any time soon. Lilyestrom also makes reference to the electric market and how the prices of electricity have also taken a plunge. This, however, is much more likely to fluctuate back up than the prices of natural gas. His final point says that these factors are all reasons that it is becoming difficult for any alternative type of fuel to compete with natural gas.

CRAAP Analysis:

This article is informational, relative to my topic, and reliable. The author, John Lilyestrom, is a trade journalist for ‘Power Engineering’, so his credibility is well-established. The information is directly relevant to my topic, being that my topic is entirely centered around natural gas energy. Lilyestrom also supports all his claims about both the current and future price and availability of natural gas with strong evidence. I feel like this source would be of value to my research also because it is relatively recent, which is important due to the always fluctuating prices and availability of natural gas. Overall, I would feel comfortable citing this source in my research because it uses good, well-supported, and current information that is related directly to my topic.

Eckert, Brian. (2013). How Much Does a Furnace Cost? Cost Owl. Retrieved 3/17/2013 from http://www.costowl.com/home-improvement/hvac-furnace-replacement-cost.html

Summary:

In his short article “How Much Does a Furnace Cost?”, Brian Eckert discusses the different types of furnaces as well as the types of fuel, heating capacity, and efficiency of each. He stresses that the higher the efficiency, the more heat your furnace will be able to produce in a shorter amount of time using less gas. The installation prices of each type of fuel furnaces are listed and compared, but Eckert notes that the prices are approximate and factors such as location, brand, and the complexity of the installation may cause those prices to vary widely.

CRAAP Analysis:

“How Much Does a Furnace Cost?” is an article that is full of useful information related to my topic. From doing additional research about the author, I found out that Brian Eckert is the Executive Director of Phillips Lytle LLP, which is a legal company whose clients are typically significantly large, mechanical or technical based companies. This leads me to believe that he has a very strong and broad base of knowledge about technical products of all kind. The website on which this article was published, CostOwl.com, noted that every single article is updated every month, so the information is undoubtedly current. What was most important about this article was the pure importance of this information in my research. The numbers and averages given in this article are facts that will be absolutely necessary to use in my paper, so it was important to verify the crediblility of this article so I would feel comfortable citing it. Through the business I work for, I was able to get ahold of some numbers to compare to the ones given in this article, and they matched up very closely, which makes this article all the more credible. I plan on citing this article in my research because it provides vital information that is recent and relative to my topic, and also because it is written by very knowledgeable author.

I feel like “How Much Does a Furnace Cost?” is more valuable to my research, but both articles are overall pretty credible. Lilyestrom’s article is undoubtedly current, but Eckert’s article was published without an exact date which initially led me to believe that it may not be up to date. Both of these articles are of incredible relevance and value to my topic, so both of them will be used for research. Although I did have to do some outside research, I found that both authors are credible and qualified to write about the topics in their articles. The information in both articles comes from research on statistics and numbers, but Eckert’s article likely comes quite a bit more from company records or experience and a lesser level of research. Both of these articles were written strictly for informational purposes and are seemingly written without bias. Overall when comparing these two articles, Lilyestrom’s article seems to be a bit more credible because it gives an exact publication date and refers to other sources for information while Eckert’s article does neither of those. Both articles are found to be credible to the point of usability, but Lilyestrom’s article shows just a few more signs of credibility. 

Buying Guide - Furnace Usage Tips - National Geogrpahic's Green Guide

Buying Guide - Furnace Usage Tips - National Geogrpahic's Green Guide

Blog Phase 3

Article 1:HVAC market shifts to heat pumps. (2006). Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News, 229(17), 13-14. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/196476294?accountid=11302
Summary                This article talks mainly about the disadvantages to gas and electric heat and the advantages of heat pumps, as well as discussing heat pump sales and popularity. Heat pump sales increased significantly in the recent years and will likely continue to grow for a few main reasons. Increased (and fluctuating) fuel costs as well as high electricity costs make heat pumps a more ideal choice for heating source because they typically remain at a fairly steady cost.  Improved efficiencies of heat pumps and certain inavailability of gas lines are other reasons why heat pumps are becoming a more and more popular source of heat. Heat pumps are also expected to post the better gains in the residential side than any other form of heating.

Article 2:B, C. (2009). Modulating furnaces intrigue customers. Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News, 236(12), 7-8. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/196482712?accountid=11302
SummaryThis article focused closely on the benefits and future growth of modulating gas furnaces. With these types of furnaces, comfort is improved because the heat output is greater in a shorter amount of time, so the furnaces don’t run for long amounts of time. Running for shorter periods raises comfort because the heat can be produced very quickly by running the gas burners and the heat output is very high. So even though the furnace is fluctuating on and off, the heat is still present even when it isn’t running. This is efficient because in a heat pump for example, the motors have to run for a longer amount of time to produce a large amount of heat which requires more energy than a modulating gas system. All heating sources use fans which require a particular amount of electricity, but in a modulating furnace, the fans do not run as much which greatly increases efficiency. The payback of installing a gas furnace typically takes about five years, even in a region where the weather tends to be more bitter. The market for gas furnaces is also projected to grow dramatically as more high-end furnaces are produced.

I chose these two sources because they both defend, support, and inform us of different methods of heating. Before digging too deep into the geographical aspect (specific to the Northeastern US) specifically, I wanted to find some sources that give advantages of a few different kinds of heat. I want to have a good knowledge of the benefits and limitations of gas heat and a few other forms of heat before I try to apply it to our area. One said heat pump sales are going up because they are the best source of heat, while the other said modulating natural gas furnaces are the best. What I noticed and found very interesting about both of these articles was that they really didn’t give any limitations to the type of heat they were defending. They talked a lot about the efficiency and other benefits, but didn’t really mention the limitations, which I know both have. These two articles did a good job of making the topic they were discussing and defending understandable and sound great, but somewhere they should have at least mentioned some limitations or done a little more to compare them to other forms of heat. Heat pumps, for example, typically have minimum and maximum efficiency operating temperatures, which means that below or above certain temperatures, they become much less efficient than the manufacturer meant for them to be. This obviously could make them a less of an option for certain people depending on the climate of their area. This would be something I would like to know if I were researching heat pumps and I knew nothing about them.

After doing the research I’ve done, I feel like I already have learned a lot more about gas heat. Also after searching for articles, there’s a lot more to consider about gas heat than I realized before, such as location in relation to gas lines and how fast you can make your installation money back just by using gas heat in your home. Doing more research has also caused me to consider more questions about where gas heat will be in the future and what gas prices are predicted to do. I also plan on finding out what kinds of limitations gas furnaces have. What I hope to learn next is much more about limitations of gas heating and other forms of heat as well as learning more about installation costs vs. long term costs. I may also begin to look at the Northeast region and specifically how the climate will affect the availability, limitations, and efficiency of gas heat.

Research Topic

         The topic I decided to research and write about is why gas heat is the overall best and most efficient type of heating available for the Northeast Region of the United States. The issue of 'which heat is the best' has been discussed by tradesmen in the HVAC industry for many years and working in a supply house that sells many different heating units kept me wondering which really is the best and most efficient heating available. Heating is something that has always interested me since the first time I watched someone open an electric furnace, and now that it has become my major, I want to learn more about it. Learning more about gas heat as well as all the other types of heating will not only help me understand simply the pros and cons of each, but will also give me the knowledge I need to make a good recommendation as to what type of heating to customers and home builders.

            My current knowledge of heating in general is certainly above average for a first semester HVAC major since I’ve been exposed to it a significant amount through work. Since we deal mostly with gas furnaces and electric heating units, I know generally how each works and I also have a very small amount of knowledge as to the prices and efficiency ratings of both. But there’s still a lot to learn and that’s why I chose this topic. After a fair amount of research, I hope to know the cost, efficiency, and installation comparison of gas heat to other forms of heat, as well as a little more about our specific geographical area and how that makes gas heat the best option. After doing more research, I hope that people such as new home builders, heating systems salesmen, and even installation tradesmen and technicians will have the opportunity to read about the research I have found and what I have learned. I also hope to learn enough that what I post can be of some resourcefulness to these people as well as any others that express interest.