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Gas or Electric: Which Furnace Is Right for You?

To invest in a gas or electric furnace, that is the question. Regardless of what a commercial might tell you, these systems have fundamental differences that must be reconciled by every homeowner that’s doing their own due diligence.

While we’re not going to necessarily tell you which furnace to get when looking at options for heating in Sarasota, FL—we’re definitely on board with telling you about their major differences. If you’re a homeowner that’s struggling to differentiate between a gas or electric furnace, then let us take you on a journey where we talk about their efficiency, effectiveness, and examine exactly how they work. Once you know the major points that separate these two systems, you’ll be better equipped to decide which is right for your home.

Well, let’s get started!

Setting the Stage

It’s not that one heater is better than the other. That couldn’t be a worse interpretation of how someone makes this decision. The fact is that some heaters fit specific homes, lifestyles, and people more than others. Take it from a team that services plenty of homeowners with gas and electric heaters, there’s a different solution for every home.

The Gas Furnace

Gas furnaces are incredibly efficient and common heaters in the United States. By running on natural gas, they’re incredibly fuel-efficient, with some models reaching a whopping 95% fuel efficiency according to their AFUE rating. Natural gas is affordable, and can reasonably heat your home when temperatures dip to the colder extremes of the winter.

However, gas furnaces aren’t the cheapest models on the market—and in an area like ours, having an affordable furnace might get you through our mild winters. It’s just a fact that gas furnace models run more expensive initially than electric ones.

Don’t forget the issues with gas. While gas furnaces are always constructed to be safe, neglect and poor maintenance can lead them to become a safety hazard. Whether you’re nervous about flammable natural gas leaking or carbon monoxide issues, these concerns could be stressful for homeowners that aren’t prepared for them.

The Electric Furnace

We’ll start with some of the downsides of an electric furnace. Electricity isn’t necessarily a cheap energy source for heating your home. On average they run less efficiently than a gas furnace, and the energy bills you pay for heat will undoubtedly be higher than that of a home with a gas furnace.

However, if you don’t mind those operating costs, an electric furnace can be perfect for homes in our area. The models generally run cheaper than gas furnaces and don’t require the installation of a natural gas line, which can be very expensive. You can essentially run one anywhere there’s an electrical outlet. They don’t require natural gas to run which means you’re never in danger of safety concerns with carbon monoxide or flammable gas, and they generally run quieter than their gas counterparts.

If you’re looking to use your furnace seldom throughout the year, as many families do during our mild winters, then an electric furnace could be an affordable heating solution.

Don’t just stop here. Contact our team at Jim McDonald & Sons Heating & Cooling Inc. for more questions if you’re still not satisfied with a furnace choice. Cooling Sarasota and Manatee Counties since 1970!

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