While there are some who prefer to live in states with warm weather, there are those who do not have any choice, being required to live in an area that only has cool weather. In such a case, they would have to rely on a furnace to keep them warm during those freezing, cold evenings.
The thing is, there are two main options when it comes to keeping you warm. You can either choose a gas furnace or an electric furnace. The question now is, which one would you choose?
Below are some helpful tidbits that may help make up your mind about the two options.
Installation
The first difference between the two would be the amount of work you need to get them installed in your home. In this regard, electric furnaces would be a lot easier to install. This is because it is easier to access the wiring and get it up to the place where the furnace needs to be installed. With gas furnaces, you need to hire a professional to do the installation.
Maintenance
In addition, gas furnaces obviously need to have their gas lines checked regularly to ensure that there are no leaks. They also need to have their filters changed at least once every three months. Meanwhile, you need to be wary of carbon monoxide poisoning when using an electric furnace. You need to be very careful when the furnace is on, and if there is a chance that carbon monoxide is in the air, you need to be careful.
Efficiency
Probably the most significant difference between the two types of furnaces would be the efficiency level. Electric furnaces tend to use a lot more energy than gas furnaces. While the amount of energy that an electric furnace uses can sometimes be more than half of the total amount of energy that your home uses, with a gas furnace, the amount of energy that it uses would be a lot less.
Financial Considerations
Also, when it comes to the running costs of gas furnaces, they are pretty low. Simply because the technology behind the gas furnace is pretty simple, and the gas furnace does not use a lot of energy. So, the cost of operating such a furnace is pretty low. However, the running costs of electric furnaces are a lot higher than those of gas furnaces. It may be higher because the electric furnace uses a lot more electricity every now and then.
Smell
Gas furnaces are known to emit a pretty bad smell at times. This is especially true if the gas furnace is in a basement and there is no ventilation. While you may like the smell of a gas furnace, there are people who do not like the stench it gives off. However, electric furnaces are known to emit no smell at all.
Cleanliness
In addition, gas furnaces are more prone to dirt. This is because they have gas pipes that are not insulated well. It is automatically going to collect dirt because of the poor insulation. This can eventually cause the gas furnace to break down. There will be a lot more maintenance involved with a gas furnace than with an electric furnace.
Conclusion
So, now that you have the pros and cons of each of these types of furnaces, you need to decide which one works for you. If you can’t decide, take a look at some of the furnaces that are on the market today. You may want to talk to a heating and cooling specialist to help you in your search.
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