Most furnaces and household heating systems are run with natural gas, However, not everyone lives in an area where natural is available or an oil furnace is not seen as feasible, an electric furnace are a very good alternative. Electric furnace costs are very much cheaper up front than oil or gas systems however, they can be more expensive in the long term heating costs.
The way electric furnaces work is described fully in other articles on this site but primarily they consist of a resistor unit that works just like the burner of an electric stove by converting electrical energy to thermal energy. The air in the furnace is heated and blown through the ducting to other areas of the home.
Electric furnace costs are relatively low in comparison to the cost of other fuel combustion heaters, but in the long run will prove to be more expensive because of the high price of electricity.
Advantages Of The Electric Furnace
No matter how your house is configured the electric furnace is so compact, it is able to fit into almost any space, with very few installation problems the electric furnace costs for its installation are low. A big plus in favour of the electric furnace is that of safety, because it doesn’t have a pilot light to ignite dangerous gasses or chemicals, it is much safer than other furnaces.
Electric furnaces have a life span of 20 – 30 years and up to 95% annual fuel utilization efficiency.
Electric Furnace Disadvantages
The main disadvantage is the high cost of electricity, and how because of this your electricity bill will grow, particularly through a long hard winter. Steps you can take to attempt to combat such rises is not to have the furnace running constantly, and to close the vents where the heat flows into the rooms of the house if they are not in continual use.
It is important to make contingency plans in the event of bad weather knocking out you electricity supply, as this is the time you will probably need the heat most.
Electric Furnace Costs
The average prices of an electric furnace are between $1,000 and $1500 which is far lower than other fuel combustion heaters. Unlike other heating systems the electric furnace does not have any fuel piping, and does not require a fuel storage facility to be installed.
The additional costs for installation can be anything up to $1000 to $2000 However, the overall costs of installation, and the electric furnace costs, will still be lower because of the limited equipment required.