Electric Furnace
Heating A Home
There are different kinds of furnaces for heating a house. Natural gas and electric forced air furnaces require ductwork to distribute the gas or heat throughout the home while gas forced-air furnaces do not. Electric baseboard heaters only cover the perimeter of the room while gas baseboard heaters are wall-mounted and the gas line is hooked up to each heating unit.
The furnace itself can be its own separate unit or it may be combined with the air handling unit, which distributes cool air throughout the home in the summer.
Gas VS Electric Furnace
An electric furnace works by sending electricity to a set of coils called heat exchangers. The gas is then turned into hot air as it passes through the heat exchanger and heats up inside of the furnace. It then moves through the duct as gas is released as heat into the home.
A gas furnace works by sending gas through a metal pipe that runs air to the gas heat exchanger, which is also called an “electric pipe” because it heats up gas as it passes through. The gas then goes through the ductwork and heats up whatever gas is released into the home.
So if you’re wondering how gas and electric furnaces work, the answer is very similar. They both work by heating gas or electric air as it passes throughout the home.
The gas furnace is more efficient at heating homes because gas is a higher BTU and will heat the home faster than electric gas. Electric gas-only heats the home slowly and is not as efficient in gas forced air furnaces.
So whether you’re wondering how gas furnace work, how gas forced air furnace works, or gas heat works; the answer is gas heats up the air and it moves through the ductwork to heat gas as it is released into the home.
Electric Furnace Parts
The gas heat exchanger coils inside of an electric furnace are similar to the gas heat exchanger coils in gas furnaces. The gas control valve is exactly the same gas control valve for gas furnaces.
Electric heat exchangers are made of aluminum alloy or steel tubing on an aluminum core, and gas heat exchanger coils on gas and gas forced air furnaces are made of stainless steel. So gas furnace parts and electric furnace parts can be interchangeable.
The gas control knob or gas control valve is used to turn gas on and off. On gas furnaces, the gas valve sends gas to the gas heat exchanger and on electric furnaces, the gas valve sends gas to the heat exchangers.
So gas furnace parts and gas forced air furnace work in a gas furnace and gas heat exchanger is the same thing as electric furnace parts and electric forced air furnaces work in an electric furnace.
Conclusion
So if you’re wondering how a furnace works, a gas furnace is a heating unit that uses the combustion of natural gas to heat air, and an electric forced air or electric furnace heats up the air with electricity in an electric heat exchanger.
Both have specific parts that work differently but do essentially the same thing which is transferring hot gas from one place to another to heat air on its way into your home.
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Frequently Asked Questions.
You’ll find answers to common questions about our HVAC services. Our aim is to help you understand more about how we can assist with your heating, cooling, and air quality needs.
Replacing a gas furnace with an electric furnace is expensive and it will take years for you to see savings. Installation costs can run as high as $10,000, even if you have an electrician do the work. So, this is best left to professionals with the necessary expertise in these matters.
Replacing an electric furnace costs between $1,500 and $5,000. It does take less time to install than a gas furnace, but it is more complicated than installing a gas furnace. You should also know that an electric furnace does not work well in cold climates, because it will take longer to warm your home.
There are a few things to consider when replacing an electric furnace. For example, you should have a licensed electrician install any new electrical components that will be needed. You should also know that you could be eligible for a federal tax credit if the furnace is Energy Star-certified and uses 90 percent less energy than a standard electric furnace.
Replacing a heating element in an electric furnace is not difficult. You can do it yourself with the right tools and the manual that came with your furnace. You can buy a heating element at any hardware store. Make sure you check with the manufacturer of your furnace to see if it is recommended that you use a certain type of heating element.
A heat pump can sometimes be replaced with an electric furnace, but it will depend on your geographic location. If the outside temperature is regularly below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it may not be an option for you. That’s because the heat pump will work better in colder weather than an electric furnace, and it will cost less to operate during colder months.
You cannot replace a gas furnace with an electric furnace because it won’t work. This is not what you are looking for.
