Can You Replace A Gas Furnace With Electric

Installing an electric furnace heater is usually a popular choice for homeowners who do not have access to a natural gas main line for a gas furnace installation.

Can you replace a gas furnace with electric.

Electric furnace installation is a pretty straightforward process and due to them not needing to be vented are much easier to replace than gas furnaces. According to a wisconsin utility company that offers both heating fuels homeowners living in cold climates can save 1 700 a year by using gas instead of electric heat. Depending on how often you use all of those items and the cost of electricity it sounds like you d be better off considering switching those appliances to gas before switching over a gas furnace to electric. The cost of a new electric furnace ranges from 1 000 to 2 500 while a gas furnace will cost between 3 000and 4 000before installation.

You make the connection right inside the junction box built into the furnace although you ll want to mount a switch somewhere in the circuit so you can power down the furnace. Electric home furnaces are also more quiet when operating than a gas furnace. Another option if your inspector allows it is to wire on a cord and simply plug the furnace into a nearby electrical outlet. A heat pump will allow you to heat and cool your home with just one appliance while an electric furnace would require a separate a c unit to cool your home in the summer.

It really depends though on where you live. Heat pumps are also electrically powered but in heating mode they consume far less energy than a furnace. An electric furnace will really drive up your electric bill though. This means you can expect lower heating bills with a gas furnace than with electric heat.

If your home doesn t use natural gas power and your current furnace is an electrical model then making the change to a heat pump is a fantastic idea. In most parts of the country a gas furnace will cost much less to operate than an electric furnace. Level 2 cjhermes14 2 points 5 years ago. But a standard heat pump installation utilizes auxiliary electric heating coils built into the air handler which are engaged by the system below a certain temperature or in the event of a compressor failure as emergency heat.

In cases where a gas furnace or even oil is present a heat pump can be configured to utilize it as a secondary backup heat source. Electric furnaces are generally less expensive to purchase than gas furnaces and cheaper to install.