We love talking about electric furnaces on this blog. Especially when it reminds us of our customers’ faces when they realize that they can indeed have a powerful furnace heating system in their home that doesn’t have access to natural gas. It’s true—heaters come in all shapes and sizes and furnaces are no exception.
However, before we dive right into the installation of an electric furnace in Helena, MT, we need to dispel some of the myths surrounding it. No, electric furnaces aren’t less efficient than gas furnaces by default. And no, unless you try to set it up yourself, you’re not going to have tripped circuits and reoccurring power issues.
It’s entirely possible that your home in Helena is adequately heated by an electric furnace for a low cost with no problems at all. But first, we need to talk about the basics of how these systems operate.
How It Works
Electric furnaces work in the way that you might imagine. They use electrical resistance in a similar way that space heaters work, except in a much more efficient manner. The coils create heat using electricity, which then heats the air inside the system. Blower fans then move the air into your air ducts to be distributed throughout your home. It’s really that simple.
Where things get complicated is when you’re trying to figure out how efficiently they work. While a natural gas furnace runs at 90% fuel efficiency and beyond, electric furnaces run at 100% efficiency. By this we mean all of the energy consumed by the system is turned into heat, which means the system runs efficiently.
It Depends on Electricity Prices
While you might think that a more efficient furnace is always better, it depends on electricity prices in our area. Natural gas is a cheaper resource more often, which means that a less efficient natural gas furnace could run at a cheaper price than an electric furnace. However, there are other ways an electric furnace could be the right choice.
- Off the grid, anywhere. Every home in our area has access to electricity, which means every home can run an electric furnace. This is a wonderful selling point for homes that are a bit more off the grid.
- They’re cheaper models. Electric furnaces can be cheaper to install initially than gas furnaces, depending on the make and model you choose. Call our team to learn more.
- Electricity prices are cheap. While natural gas might be cheaper than electricity, it’s not that much cheaper. An electric furnace can still be efficient and cheap to run.
- They’re safe and easy to install. Some homeowners just don’t like the idea of running a gas-burning system in their house. While gas furnaces aren’t unsafe inherently, we always want homeowners to live with a heater that makes them feel safe and secure.
The bottom line is that electric furnaces are absolutely a great way to heat a home. Don’t buy into the online hype or the perpetual misinformation about these systems. Trust the word of a team of professionals and call us for more information.
Contact Ambient Air Solutions today for your own electric furnace. Simplifying Heating & Cooling.
