Temperatures are finally starting to lower, which means we need to be prepared for the big winter chill. Here in Tennessee, winters can still be cold even if they’re more mild than our northern neighbors. A furnace is a great choice for many of our customers, but they’re not a “one-size-fits-all” kind of solution.
In fact, many people don’t know that there are multiple kinds of furnaces. Electric furnaces are great at heating your home only using electricity. Gas furnaces use powerful combustion with natural gas to provide heat for your home throughout the winter. Both of these systems work well, but they’re better for certain homeowners and worse for others.
Our blog post today will take a deep dive into furnace installations in Franklin. We’ll talk about how they operate, the differences between gas and electric systems, and why these details matter.
The Simple but Effective Electric Furnace
Electric furnaces are an amazing choice for certain customers. For starters, they’re some of the most affordable heating systems on the market. For homes that are small, or might not have access to natural gas, an electric furnace would be a wonderful option.
Electric furnaces use the power of electrical resistance to heat up the space in your home. The coils run electricity through them to heat up. This heats the surrounding air and a blower fan pushes that heated air throughout your home.
This process is similar to a space heater, but these systems are designed to heat a much larger area at a much more efficient rate. While electric furnaces are often more affordable to install, they can cost more to operate in the long run due to higher electricity prices than natural gas prices. However, with infrastructure improvements and investments in solar panels, that cost could decrease dramatically over time.
The Gas Furnace Powerhouse
Gas furnaces are the best choice for a lot of homeowners. They’re sleek, powerful, and fuel-efficient, especially with recent models.
Gas furnaces run by venting natural gas into a combustion chamber where it’s burned to create heat. Gas furnaces with AFUE ratings (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of 90+ signify that the furnace is turning over 90% of the fuel burned into heat, which is a high efficiency rate.
Gas furnaces can be powerful enough to heat homes that reach extremely cold temperatures, and all that’s required is access to a natural gas line.
Alternative Heating Methods
Don’t just stop at furnaces! Heat pump technology has advanced impressively over the last few years. Due to recent legislation, there are also major benefits that homeowners can take advantage of if they decide to invest in heat pump systems.
Heat pumps use refrigerant to cool a home like a central air conditioning system, with the added bonus of running in reverse, which moves heat inside the house. Because a heat pump isn’t creating heat, it’s just moving it, it runs with exceptional efficiency and can keep even homes in the chilliest neighborhoods comfortable.
Schedule an appointment with Busy Bee Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning Inc. for a 100% more than satisfied promise!