Surrey has both. Older homes in Whalley, Bridgeview, and Newton often have cast iron radiators or baseboards connected to gas boilers installed decades ago. Newer builds in Clayton Heights, Morgan Creek, and South Surrey typically have high-efficiency gas furnaces with forced air. When heating systems reach end of life, homeowners often ask which direction to go. Here's an honest rundown.
How Each System Works
A boiler (hydronic system) heats water and circulates it through radiators, baseboard convectors, or in-floor radiant tubing. The heat radiates from those surfaces into the room. There are no ducts and no blowing air.
A forced air furnace burns gas (or uses electricity) to heat air, which is then blown through a duct network via a blower motor. The same duct system can also run central air conditioning, a major practical advantage in homes that want both heating and cooling.
Comfort: Boiler Systems Generally Win
This is where boiler advocates are most vocal, and they're generally right. Hydronic heat is radiant heat. Warm surfaces heat objects and people in the room directly, without convection cycles of hot air blowing and then cooling. Rooms feel more evenly and consistently warm.
Forced air systems heat rooms faster from a cold start and can cycle on and off more aggressively, creating noticeable temperature swings. In a well-designed system with a good thermostat, these swings are minor. In a poorly zoned system, they're more obvious.
Air Quality: Also a Boiler Advantage
Forced air systems move air through ducts. Ducts collect dust, debris, and in some cases mould. The blower distributes whatever is in the duct network throughout the home. This matters more for households with allergy sufferers.
Hydronic systems don't move air at all. There's nothing to distribute. On the other hand, if you want whole-home filtration or a heat recovery ventilator (HRV), it's easier to integrate with a forced air system.
Cooling: Furnaces Win Here
This is the biggest practical limitation of a boiler system: it cannot run central air conditioning. If you want AC in a boiler home, you're adding a separate ductless mini-split system, which works well but adds cost and complexity.
Surrey summers are warmer than they used to be. The 2021 heat dome changed how many homeowners think about cooling. For a home without existing ductwork, adding a high-efficiency gas boiler plus a multi-head ductless heat pump for cooling is a reasonable combination. For a home with existing ductwork, keeping forced air and potentially adding an air source heat pump component is often simpler.
Efficiency: It Depends on the System and the Home
Modern high-efficiency condensing boilers (Viessmann Vitodens, Navien NCB, Rinnai) run at 90 to 95% AFUE. Modern high-efficiency gas furnaces also run at 95 to 98% AFUE. The efficiency difference at the equipment level is not large.
Distribution efficiency is where the comparison gets more interesting. Duct systems in older homes can lose 20 to 30% of the heat generated through duct leakage and conduction into unconditioned spaces (attics, crawlspaces). Hydronic systems circulate water through insulated pipes, with far lower distribution losses.
Upfront Cost and Longevity
- Furnace replacement: Generally lower upfront cost for a straight equipment swap. If ductwork is already in place and in good condition, the project is simpler.
- Boiler replacement: Similar equipment cost, but if the existing piping needs work or zones are being added, costs rise. Well-maintained boilers routinely last 20 to 25 years, often longer than furnaces.
- Converting from one system to the other: This is a major project. Converting a forced air home to hydronic requires installing radiators or radiant tubing throughout the home. We typically don't recommend this unless a full renovation is happening anyway.
The BC Rebate Picture
FortisBC and the CleanBC Better Homes program offer rebates on qualifying high-efficiency boilers and furnaces. There are also larger rebates available for switching to heat pump technology. The rebate landscape changes regularly so it's worth calling FortisBC or checking the CleanBC website when you're making a decision.
What We Recommend for Surrey Homes
If you already have a boiler system with baseboards or radiators, replacing with a high-efficiency boiler is almost always the right call. The distribution infrastructure is there and working, and modern boilers are dramatically more efficient than older equipment.
If you already have a forced air furnace and working ductwork, replacing with a high-efficiency furnace or an air source heat pump is typically the more practical path.
If you're doing a new build or a full gut renovation and want the most comfortable heating system possible regardless of cost, a hydronic radiant in-floor system is hard to beat.
We don't sell furnaces. We're boiler and gas specialists. But if a furnace is genuinely the better answer for your situation, we'll tell you that rather than push you toward a system that doesn't serve you well.
Thinking about replacing your heating system in Surrey or the surrounding area? Our boiler installation and boiler replacement pages explain what we do in detail. Or call us at (778) 819-0444 and we'll talk through your specific situation.
Written by the team at Surrey Boiler Pros. Chris Suter is a Red Seal certified plumber and Class B gas fitter with 14+ years in Surrey and Metro Vancouver.