I want a new, More Efficient Electric Furnace

by Don Ames

Keep the kid in the garage.

Don Ames Daily

Guess the son had a greater need for my economical ford focus than I did, so I got stuck driving the 1 ton to work. Filled both tanks on the pickup the other day, $2.81 cents a gallon ( had 10 cents off a gallon because I had purchased over $100 dollars at the grocery store ) still cost me $92 dollars to fill up. The best place for the F350 is in the garage.

Number of years age I thought about having the power package added to the engine - headers, blower, etc. - because it would supposedly add noticeable horsepower and actually, when not horsepowering around, add fuel economy. Still thinking about it.

Visited a home yesterday where the homeowner was looking to spend about $3,500 on energy saving measures to their home. They wanted to install a new programmable thermostat and a new efficient electric furnace. They pointed out that 2 years earlier they had the furnace blower replaced when it refused to blow. Since the blower had to be replaced, the homeowner felt it was only a matter of time before the rest of the furnace gave out. Anyway, they wanted a newer furnace which would have to be more efficient.

Need to understand a couple things about an electric furnace:

  • An electric furnace never really wears out, it is all components and the components can be replaced as needed.
  • ( A gas furnace can wear out and need to be replaced because of the heat exchanger compartment. )
  • An electric furnace is considered to be 100% efficient, period. An electric furnace built in 1975 or 1989, or 2008, all are 100% efficient.
  • ( A gas furnace constructed in 1975 was 70 % efficient, 1985 was 80% efficient, 1995 was 90% efficient, 2005 was 95% efficient. )

If the electric furnace is working and all heating strips are functioning, there is little reason to replace it.

To increase the efficiency of an electric furnace, add a heat pump. A heat pump comes in a variety of efficiency levels. Of course, the higher the efficiency, the higher the cost. The higher efficiency models often qualify for tax credits and rebates.

To keep things in perspective, my F350 1 ton is an electric furnace, my 2.0 Focus is a heat pump. They both get you down the road where you want to go, but one takes a lot less energy and money.

Of course, a kid is a lot more expensive than a vehicle, ought to just keep both of them in the garage…Don Ames