Using A Natural Gas Furnace As A Heat Source
A simple decision like trying to decide which type of furnace to purchase and install for your home, may be further complicated by the question of environmental impact; thankfully many manufacturers offer both electric and natural gas furnaces for you to choose from.
However, having those options, does it really ease your case? My guess is – not so much; because which is better, electric or natural gas? Assuming you’ve already done all the necessary research and have done sufficient planning for your home, it leaves the only major mulling point of which furnace will cause less pollution; the following may well provide some insight.
The NORDYNE Company
NORDYNE have been around in some form or other since 1919, so their expertise is unquestionable, but are their methods, theories and products still stuck in the nineteen hundreds? The short answer is, no – otherwise they would be out of business, though some major corporations do get away with sub-par manufacturing, just look at General Motors (then again they didn’t quite get away with it did they?). No, rest assured NORDYNE is a respected brand and leader in the market, especially all things HVAC. NORDYNE claims that they triple check each product at each point in the manufacturing process as well as putting the product through a final stage of further computer tests and analysis, eliminating any human error and ensuring a very high standard electric or natural gas furnace. You may or may not be aware of them in some form or other because they do front as many other subsidiaries and brands. Their brands include the following: Broan, Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Light commercial, Maytag, NuTone, Philco, Tappan, and Westinghouse. All of which offer the “Go green, save green” instant rebate and federal tax credit on select products.
An Environmentally Friendly Matter
Obviously when one considers a natural gas furnace one is inclined to think that it’s more harmful to the environment – but is the payoff really that much greater than the electric option. These day’s companies produce such highly efficient products which eliminate a great portion of waste, making it a naturally efficient and ‘friendly’ option – there’s also the quality guarantees that aid the issue. Food for thought though, is that the collective pollution from chimneys and flue’s, make up a really great deal of pollution that can otherwise be avoided with electrical furnaces. However, switching to electricity means great strain on the power grid meaning more power stations/Hydro schemes, which all have an effect on the environment. So in effect it’s a lose-lose scenario. Although the electricity option would still be a ‘greener’ option because there are always green methods to gaining electricity using the natural resources available (wind and sun preferably). So in lieu of this Intel, surely electricity is the way of the future; well I believe it makes more sense to get a natural gas furnace if you’re living in a more semi rural/country house where electricity is sometimes interrupted by landmasses, or misbehaving weather patterns; this way your snowed-in cabin will be independent of electric disruptions.
Is It Worth Getting A Natural Gas Furnace?
There are other reasons to get the electric furnace instead of natural gas, but they have more to do with
personal preference and convenience than environmental needs. Ultimately it’s your personal desires and needs that will truly dictate the nature of your furnace. And at some point, money will make an appearance, unless it isn’t an issue for you, which is highly unlikely. The most economical choice would also have to be the electric furnace, this is because the natural gas furnace requires constant maintenance and cleaning, and unless you intend getting your hands dirty (and your lungs perhaps) then that too will cost money – something you’ll be paying for, continually.
Of course this sort of household appliance is a long term investment with the average natural gas furnace lifespan at around twenty five years, one would have to somehow calculate the cost of maintenance over that time frame to weigh up the benefits, if any, of a natural gas furnace over an electric one – the changing electricity prices might also make things quite interesting, and by changing I mean increasing because these days, and for many more to come, everything seems to be increasing. From this we can plainly see that in terms of cost anyway, calculating the long term gas furnace costs is nigh impossible.
The Best Option For You
Well quality is not an issue, which you can be pretty sure about. For a company like NORDYNE that started nearly a hundred years ago in St. Louis (as International Oil and Heating Company), there’s a lot more than just many years of natural gas furnace manufacturing behind them. These people live anything to do with Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) – it’s something you’ll realize once you get past all the marketing gimmickry, of which there is thankfully very little. Behind the gimmickry there’s real quality including an entire range of heating and cooling appliances to fit and match the individual need or the individual house. Interestingly though, of their main gimmicks, the earlier mentioned “Go green, save green” instant rebate, results in costs being a touch more palatable – especially in a down economy. Then there’s the federal tax credits which mean there’s energy star ratings for the products as well (meaning energy efficient products earn more credits because they yield lower energy bills for you in the long run, even though they cost a pretty penny to buy and install).
So what is the better heat, if there is such a thing? – Well the truth is it’s up to you. Only you can decide which natural gas furnace is best suited to your needs, your house and your pocket (meaning your wallet) – that is if you’re going natural and not electric, which in my opinion is the better option.
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