Reliable Heating Repair Services

Gas vs Electric Furnaces: Advantages & Disadvantages

Looking to purchase a new gas or electric furnace, but don’t know where to start? We offer heating repair and installation services to homes in areas such as Dover, Middletown, Upper Darby, Bethlehem, Gaithersburg, and Trenton. Give our team of certified technicians a call by phone to discuss the advantages of gas vs electric furnaces.

Gas and electric furnaces are both effective. On the other hand, each type of furnace operates in a different way to provide warm air to your house. Let’s take a look at the differences between gas and electric furnaces to help you determine the best heating system for your space. 

Operational Procedures

Though gas and electric furnaces operate differently, they also share similarities. Both units use a forced-air heating system. The process begins with the thermostat. When the temperature in your home drops below the desired heat that is set on the thermostat, an electrical signal is then sent to the furnace system. 

This is where the two systems diverge: for the electric furnace, an electric ignition system will receive the thermostat’s signal. Next, the electric heating components are triggered inside of the furnace system to provide warm air to your household. On the other hand, a gas furnace signals its pilot light. 

From there, the pilot light ignites the gas burner of the heat exchanger. The exchanger pulls the heat from the main burner and then distributes it throughout your home. If you’re having problems with your gas or electric furnace, schedule an appointment with our team. We offer safe and trustworthy heating repair services to homeowners in areas such as Newark, Baltimore, Camden, and Bensalem.

Installation Requirements 

For easy installation, electric furnaces are the better choice. Although you’ll need an HVAC professional to install either one of the heating systems, a gas furnace will be more difficult and can take several days to install depending on many variables.

When installing a gas furnace, keep in mind that you’re dealing with combustive elements. Therefore, gas furnaces should be installed properly and carefully. Heating components, such as the heat exchanger, must be completely sealed to stop potential carbon monoxide leaks, which pose a serious threat to you and your family’s well being. Please keep in mind that if you haven’t installed a gas furnace in your home before, you may not have an existing vent, which means a wall will need to be cut to properly accommodate your furnace system. This, in turn, takes more time. 

For an electric furnace, you’ll simply need wiring from the furnace to the electrical box. This makes the electric furnace a more efficient installation. 

Cost  

When it comes to cost, electric furnaces are less expensive upfront, but gas furnaces are cheaper to operate. In initial pricing, electric furnaces range from $1,000 to $2,500; gas furnaces vary from $3,000 and $4,000. However, natural gas is cheaper to run each month when compared to electricity. Give our staff a call to become familiar with our heater repair services in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland. 

Life Cycle

When it comes to life expectancy, gas furnaces typically last from 15-20 years; electric furnaces from 20 to 30 years. The shorter lifespan of gas furnaces is largely due to the amount of maintenance it takes to upkeep the system. A gas furnace, on regular, will generate small particles that buildup in the furnace over time, and will need to be thoroughly cleaned out. If not properly maintained, the furnace will have a system failure. Additionally, gas furnaces are most likely to corrode over time.

Electric furnaces, on the other hand, don’t have as many heating components, which allows them to last longer with less maintenance. 

Maintenance

As stated prior, an electric furnace requires less upkeep than a gas furnace. This is because a gas furnace requires a lot of heating components to operate. When examining the two, an electric furnace does not have a burner that must be frequently maintained nor does the system need cleaning. 

Gas furnaces will need to be routinely expected by an HVAC professional. We recommend getting annual routine inspections and maintenance on your gas furnace for optimal efficiency. 

Emergency Furnace, Boiler, and Heater Repairs

If your heating system fails in the middle of the night or your heat pump suddenly stops working, you can trust our team to quickly and correctly identify the issue and make the necessary heater repairs to get your home’s heating system back up and running. The staff at our HVAC company do not charge extra money for emergency heating calls.