Furnaces

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Electric Furnace

Gas Furnace

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Schedule a FREE Heating or Cooling Estimate

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Advantages of Electric Furnaces:

Burns Clean – Electric furnaces do not produce soot or smoke.

Safe – Automatic breaker prevent them from overloading.

Designed for Multi-Position Installation – May be installed in a basement, closet, or crawl space.

Compatibility – Electric Furnaces are compatible with Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps, Humidifiers and Air Cleaners.

Factors that Affect Electric Furnace Efficiency:

Installation

The quality of installation will greatly affect the furnace efficiency, so you will want your installation completed a by a trained and licensed professional.

Insulation

The amount of insulation is considered when determining the furnace size required to heat a home. Well insulated homes or newer homes require smaller units than homes with little insulation. You must also consider:

Window Types
Weather stripping around exterior doors
Home Construction Type
Levels to be Heated

Ducts and Venting

Leaks in the duct work will decrease furnace efficiency. If leaks are detected, then sealing both the supply and the return air ducts will increase your furnace efficiency. Consult with a trained professional for sound advice concerning your duct work and vents.

Operating Costs

Electric Furnaces have lower upfront costs, but higher operating costs compared to other home heating options.

They are known for being highly efficient compared to gas or oil furnaces, since they can transform 100% of their fuel into heat. However, the cost of electricity means they still have higher operating costs than gas or oil furnaces.

The operating expense of electric furnaces are also high when compared to other electric heating systems. Heating systems such as baseboard heaters, wall heaters and electric thermal storage. This is due to the amount of heat lost as the air moves through the ducts in your home.

Contact E.T. Mechanical today, and we can help you find the best heating options for your home and comfort.

Gas Furnaces

Gas furnaces are fueled by Natural Gas or Propane. They typically use the forced air style of heating, meaning the air is heated in the heat exchanger of the furnace itself and is then forced through the attached duct-work to the vents that feed the home.

Older types of gas-fired furnaces lose significant amounts of energy in the hot waste gases exhausted up the chimney. More modern high-efficiency furnaces condense the water vapor emitted as one of the products of consumption. This increases the efficiency of the system to over 90%.

Advantages of Gas Furnaces:

Cost – Gas furnaces cost less to operate than electric furnaces because natural gas cost less than electricity.

Efficient in Extreme Cold Temperatures – Gas furnaces can warm up your home faster and produce higher temperatures in extreme cold than electric systems.

Compatibility – An air conditioner or heat pump can be added for year-round heating and cooling.

Lifespan – 10 – 20 years. Longer lifespan than a heat pump, but shorter lifespan than an electric furnace.

There are also some disadvantages when considering a gas furnace as well. Your cost of installation will increase if you don’t currently have a ventilation system, or natural gas lines. Both oil and propane require fuel storage tanks that require installation and maintenance. Gas furnaces emit a low level of carbon monoxide, so you must have a carbon monoxide detector running in your home and perform regular maintenance to ensure your unit is working properly.

When considering your home heating options, whether to go with an electric or gas furnace, there is also a third option, a heat pump. Electric heat pumps are more energy efficient than gas furnaces and require much less electricity to operate than electric furnaces.

Whatever your priorities and needs are, E.T. Mechanical can help, call us today for a free estimate and we will help you assess your home comfort needs.