Electric furnaces

If your energy bills are soaring due to your electric furnace, replace it urgently. There are many excellent alternatives. And pay also attention to their maintenance.

Central electric furnaces are cheap and easy to install, and are highly efficient in terms of combustion, but they are a typically bad option in terms of energy costs - and also because they are environment-unfriendly (unless fueled by wind or photovoltaic electricity)...

Electric furnaces vs. gas, wood and pellet furnaces

Electric furnaces are typically more expensive to operate than combustion furnaces, stoves, fireplace inserts, etc. not only because of the the electricity costs but also because the duct system makes them less efficient than non-ducted systems.

Alternatives

If you intend to replace your old electric furnace, consider the other alternatives, both the direct (pellet furnaces, high-rated gas and oil furnaces) and the more radical: home insulation, zone heating and space heaters, or solar-powered solutions and geothermal heat-pumps...

Electric furnaces vs. other electric heaters

Since electric furnaces demand ducts, and ducts often run through unheated areas and are subject to leaks, they present a lower energy efficiency than other electric heaters: space heaters, baseboard electric heaters, etc.

Electric furnaces & Maintenance

Electric furnaces use large fans to move air over a group of electric resistance coils. To avoid overheating and overloading, the electrical system coils is activated in stage through a built-in thermostat. But if the there is a dirty filter blocking the air flow or if the blower fails, the thermostat may shut the electric furnace off. Pay attention to this key element of electric furnaces maintenance.

It’s important to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer and clean or replace the electric furnace filters in order to keep the system operating as efficiently as possible, though that will not ultimately resolve your high energy bills problem.