Many new homeowners don’t know whether to install gas or electric furnaces. If you are one of the confused home owners, here is how the two compare:
Cost
Gas furnaces are more expensive than their electric counterparts. While the initial investment in gas furnaces is higher, they are usually cheap to operate as the cost of natural gas has gone down over the years. This is contrary to the cost of electricity which seems to be increasing every day.
Installation
After making the purchase, you need to install the furnace. Electric furnaces are small in size thus easy to install. In fact you can install it on your own. This isn’t the case with a gas furnace which is usually large in size and requires technical skills and specialized tools to properly install it. Due to this, it’s difficult to undertake gas furnace installation on your own—you have to hire the services of a gas furnace expert to help you out.
Maintenance
For your furnace to continue working effectively you need to maintain it. Electric furnaces don’t have many issues thus they are easy to maintain. In fact, you can troubleshoot the problems on your own. If you don’t have time you should ask a HVAC professional to come and take a look at it.
A gas furnace on the other hand requires a lot of regular maintenance as it emits low levels of carbon monoxide which can be lethal if not properly monitored. To ensure that your home is safe, you should seek the services of a HVAC expert to regularly maintain your gas furnace.
Lifespan
Research studies have shown that electric units last up to twice the life of a gas furnace (which is usually 10-20 years). This means that if you are after a furnace that will last for a long time, you should go for an electric unit.
Effectiveness
Gas furnaces have been shown to be more effective than electric furnaces in very cold temperatures. The reason for this is because gas heats up to higher temperatures than electricity. In addition to being more effective, it’s also more energy efficient than an electric unit.
Conclusion
This is how a gas furnace compares to an electric furnace. Regardless of the furnace that you choose to go with, you should ensure that you buy it from a reputable store. You should also ensure that the furnace is regularly maintained by a certified HVAC contractor.
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