Electric Furnaces
Electric furnaces are commonly used in homes, apartments, mobile homes, and offices.
Most models on the market today are designed to provide 20-30 years of service.
Due to their compact size they are commonly installed in the basement, closet, utility room, or attic.
They can be integrated with your existing ductwork to circulate heat from the electric furnace,
depending on where you install it.
In terms of their up-front costs, electric furnaces are often less expensive than other heating options.
Also, electric furnaces do not require additional fuel pipes and expensive fuel storage tanks. They
do not require any venting. There is a major reduction in material costs, which saves several hours in
installation time. Electric furnaces have few moving parts, which makes the operation affordable and
maintenance simple. They have a compact central heating unit with a blower fan and can be adapted to
add on heat pump systems as well as central air conditioning units.
Advantages Of Electrical Heating
Heating with electricity has some specific advantages. You can control it exactly to allow uniformity
of temperature. With no fuel combustion involved, it is cleaner than oil or gas. Electric furnaces are
considered safer because automatic breakers protect them from overloading. You can get an electric
furnace started quickly and they operate quietly. Since an electric furnace has no flame, you don't
have to relight a pilot light or deal with combustible fuels in the house. Electric furnaces are
often 100 percent efficient.
Disadvantages of Electric Heat
However, after installation, heating with electricity is often more expensive than heating with
natural gas or fuel oil. As with all heating systems if the supply ducts and returns are not well-
insulated, you will lose heat as you transfer it throughout your house. Furthermore, some furnaces
and boilers can run even when the electricity is out. No so with electric furnaces.
Maintenance of an electric furnace is typically straight-forward, and largely consists of
ensuring that the furnace filters are cleaned or replaced per the manufacturer's instructions.
Popular electric furnace manufacturers include:
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