When you’re ready to install a new furnace, you have to decide between a gas or electric model. While there are many other considerations to make, this is the first step in choosing the right furnace for your home. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a furnace.
Instead, you have to make the best decision for what your home and family need. You can schedule an appointment with our team for furnace service in Florissant, MO. You can also keep reading to learn more about the differences between gas and electric furnaces so you know a little bit more about each one.
Pros and Cons of a Gas Furnace
Gas furnaces are wonderful investments because they can heat up your home very quickly and effectively. Although they do use more energy compared to an electric furnace to produce heat, they produce heat so effectively that they may use less energy overall. This has the potential to reduce your monthly energy costs while also boosting overall home comfort.
The downsides to a gas furnace are that they cost more to install, and you also need to have the availability of gas service at your home. If you don’t already have existing gas lines, connecting to your local gas service or installing a propane tank can add additional costs to the installation of a gas furnace. If you don’t plan on using gas for other appliances in your home, it may not make sense to go to these lengths to install a gas furnace.
Pros and Cons of an Electric Furnace
Electric furnaces cost less upfront for installation. Plus, since homes already have electricity, they are easy to connect and set up. While electricity does pose some inherent risks, electric furnaces are considered safer than gas furnaces. You don’t face the risks of gas leaks and breathing in carbon monoxide. Still, we encourage you to have smoke detectors installed no matter what. This way, if something does go wrong with your furnace or otherwise, you’re alerted to the problem quickly.
Electric furnaces can take longer to heat up, so they may use more energy and cost more to heat your home on a month-to-month basis. It’s the open flame and combustion process happening inside a gas furnace that produces heat much more effectively than the heating element in an electric furnace. An electric furnace does well at maintaining heat, but if you turn your electric furnace off or down, it may take longer to heat your home back up again.
Choosing a Furnace
Selecting a furnace really comes down to personal preference. If you already have an existing gas or electric furnace, replacing it with a similar newer model can make installation a little bit easier. Replacing your existing unit with something completely different can take longer and be a more involved process.
You also want to consider the costs. Would you rather spend more or less upfront on installation? Or, is it more important for you to save money over the life of a unit on energy costs? If you do decide to install a gas furnace, we encourage you to have carbon monoxide detectors installed, too. This is something that we can help with during the installation appointment.
Warm People, Cool Ideas, Quality Solutions. Give our team at Swiss Air Heating and Cooling a call today to schedule an appointment for furnace service.
