Ever wonder about an electric Furnace? I found an old discarded Clare Forced Air Furnace hiding in a basement during one of my home inspections. When looking head on the green big thing at the bottom of the picture is the blower. It sucks air in and pushes up through the electric coils visible on the second picture. Electricity runs through the coils heating them up. As the air passes, it picks up the heat and warms up.
Did you know that Electric furnaces are considered 100% efficient. Gas high-efficiency furnaces are usually around 92-95% efficient.
The biggest problems, for most people, with electric furnaces are the operating costs and how electric furnaces tend to dry out homes. Humidifiers are really smart installs with electric furnaces. This is an old product and many people cringe when they think of electric heat but if we can start producing electricity in a greener more cost-effective manner, AND as we continue to burn up our supply of natural gas, don’t be surprised if in the future we start replacing those gas furnaces with electric ones. Electric space heaters used strategically with gas-fired furnaces can be more efficient than one single heating system. I can imagine in the near future solar panels hooked up to a secondary unit of this type reducing your heating bill and gas consumption.