Are you a homeowner in need of replacing your heating system? Well, before you replace your system, it would be wise to look at your heating options. You can either choose gas heat or electric heat. Perhaps you are uncertain the type of heating method to choose. In making your final selection, it is important to understand benefits and drawbacks of gas heat vs. electric heat. The pros and cons of each are many, which is why the professionals here at South Nashville Heating and Cooling want to help educate you on both types.
Electric Heat Pros and Cons
For starters, electric furnaces yield a lower upfront investment for homeowners, since the installation process is fairly simple. This in and of itself makes the electric furnace more appealing to many homeowners. The overall installation process is quite painless and quick, resulting in very little disruption to your home or your family. Furthermore, an electric furnace entails easy maintenance. There are far less worries or fears about malfunctions that can cause risk to your family’s health with an electric furnace. Despite this lower risk, however, it is still important to have your electric furnace inspected and serviced annually.
While there are appealing pros to the purchase of an electric furnace there are a couple of cons as well. First and foremost, your lifetime cost will be much higher than that of a gas furnace. The high cost of electricity contributes to the high expense of running an electric heat pump or electric furnace over that of a gas furnace. Finally, electric heat takes longer to power up its heating elements prior to actually being able to heat your home. In other words, you have a much longer wait time for the thermostat to kick in and start warming up the house.
Gas Heat Pros and Cons
Most of us know that gas heat is much less expensive to operate. Natural gas is much cheaper than electricity, which simply put, means a gas furnace can definitely save you money over the long term. In addition, gas heat typically heats up a home faster than electric heat since its high heating levels are active immediately after the burners start running. With these obvious pros, however, come a few cons.
The cost of your gas furnace is a bit more expensive upfront primarily because the installations are a bit more complicated as a result of the special ventilation needs. Gas furnaces also typically have a shorter lifespan than electric furnaces. They normally last anywhere between 10 and 20 years, which is usually about half as long as an electric furnace would last. Electric heat pumps are in the same range of a gas furnace, on average lasting about 15 years. Finally, gas furnaces have more maintenance requirements than electric furnaces because they run on a combustible fuel and need to be serviced and maintained yearly.
Summary – Gas Heat vs. Electric Heat
The pros here at South Nashville Heating and Cooling want to help you choose the best heating option for your home. We recommend that you invest in a gas furnace if you live in a cold climate and have to depend upon your furnace for comfort several months out of the year. On the flip side, if you live in a much warmer climate most of the year, then electric heat is surely your best option.
If you are in need of a new furnace for your Nashville home, or perhaps furnace repairs, maintenance or an inspection, then we are the ideal team for you! The folks here at South Nashville Heating and Cooling are here to help with all your heating and cooling needs. Our highly skilled and trained technicians stand ready to provide you with our superior installation services and our wide range of other heating and air conditioning services as well. Gas heat or electric heat? Our experts can surely help today, tomorrow, and always. Why wait? Contact our professionals and schedule your free consultation today!
