Heating & Air Conditioning - W.G. Speeks - Richmond, VA - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

What are the types of furnaces for a home?

Heating of a home can be accomplished in many different ways, and furnaces remain a convenient and effective method. There are many different types of furnaces that provide heat to homes while offering unique advantages.

Process

  • Gas and oil furnaces create heat by making air that goes over an exchange unit hotter, while electric furnaces turn electrical energy directly into thermal heat. Corn furnaces burn corn to generate heat.

Efficiency

  • Electric furnaces are more efficient than those using oil or natural gas, but corn furnaces are best for the environment due to their use of a renewable resource.

Cost

  • Electric furnaces are more expensive than gas, oil or corn furnaces because their use of electricity increases utility bills.

Risk

  • Gas, oil and corn furnaces all run some risk of fire or explosion due to their operating process. Electric furnaces do not ignite or burn anything, and thus are the safest option.

Installation

  • Electric furnaces are the smallest and easiest to install. This makes electric furnaces more convenient to place in a home than gas, oil or corn furnaces.