What’s Your Type? Furnace Type.

What's Your Type? Furnace Type.

Brrrrr! Are you feeling colder in your home? Are you feeling too hot in your home? It is beginning to be that time of the year again, but just maybe it could also be your furnace causing the discomfort.

By design, a furnace heats air and uses a blower motor and air ducts to distribute warm air throughout the house.

There are different sizes and types of furnaces.

The different types of furnaces are gas, electric and propane furnaces. Let’s tackle the differences first in this article. Determining which size furnace you need will be tackled in the next article.

A gas furnace utilizes fossil fuel to transfer heat and is commonly considered the most efficient and economical method of heating. Essentially, the furnace converts gas into heat by using burners, heat exchangers and blowers. Within the gas furnace family, there are three types: Single-Stage, Two-Stage and a Modulation gas furnace.

A Single-Stage Gas Furnace is able to heat up your home and it’s relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately, there is only one setting. This one setting tends to cause the furnace to spurt hot air, creating uneven heating within your home. Many factors can go into this as well, but this is a general trend.

A Two-Stage Gas Furnace is more efficient and does not have the same issues as the latter. A Two-Stage is more able to adjust to the needs of the house since it runs more continuously. At first, selecting a Two-Stage can seem unpreferable because of its larger upfront cost.

Finally, a Modulating Gas Furnace is the more expensive of the three, but the more efficient. Unlike the other two, the modulating Gas Furnace only blows when it is needed since a computer controls a thermostat.

Up next are electric furnaces. Out of gas and propane furnaces, electric furnaces are the cheapest and easiest to install. Although, long term this is not the most cost-friendly choice. Again, other factors such as the size will affect this. On the upside, this is the quieter and longer-lasting option. Electric furnaces have been known to last for approximately 20 years.

Finally, propane furnaces. When electric and gas furnaces go out, the propane furnace will keep going. Propane furnaces are energy efficient, green and reliable. Some caution should be taken when installing a propane heater. They should ALWAYS be installed outdoors since propane is combustible. Currently, NDI Plumbing does not install propane furnaces.

Choosing between the different types of furnaces is ultimately going to be based on preference and what is best for you.

Once you decide which type you would like installed, don’t hesitate to call and schedule an appointment with us!

Need help deciding what size furnace you need? We got you covered!