Easy & Cheap Way to Convert a Gas Furnace to Electric? (electric heat, smell)
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Yes, I realize gas is almost always less expensive and provides warmer heat; but due to health issues, I'm interested in converting our existing gas furnace (the A/C is already electric, of course) to electric. Does anyone here know of any easy, fairly inexpensive ways to do this without replacing the entire furnace? TIA
Yes, I realize gas is almost always less expensive and provides warmer heat; but due to health issues, I'm interested in converting our existing gas furnace (the A/C is already electric, of course) to electric. Does anyone here know of any easy, fairly inexpensive ways to do this without replacing the entire furnace? TIA
If you live in a warmer climate, consider getting a heat pump. Heat pumps are extremely efficient and work well in warmer climates when it isn't too cold, and will actually have operating costs comparable to a gas furnace, sometimes even lower if electric rates are reasonable.
Otherwise, consider installing electric baseboard heating.
What I'm really wanting, though, is to get rid of gas completely--to cap off any gas lines coming into my house. From what I'm understanding, a heat pump still would kick on the gas furnace if the temps drop below 30 degrees. Thoughts?
The cost of "converting" will far out-weigh the cost of replacement. Plus you still have to run a 220v line to the furnace- and that could be real expensive if the breaker panel is some distance from the furnace location.
In cases where a gas furnace (or even oil) is present, a heat pump can be configured to utilize it as a secondary/backup heat source. But, a standard heat pump installation utilizes auxiliary electric heating coils built into the air handler which are engaged by the system below a certain temperature or in the event of a compressor failure as emergency heat. I have two heat pumps, no gas service. It was the same at my old house in Pennsylvania as there was no gas service there either.
I am curious. Gas is a very clean heating source. I fail to see the tie in to health concerns, so please educate me so that I can see and understand the connection. My 5-year-old niece was born at 22 weeks (read: born at 5.5 months post conception instead of 9 months). She has some resulting health concerns, primarily related to her respiratory system. Some special accommodations have to be made for her, of course. But, my brother has gas heat in the house and it's a complete non-issue in this regard. You should not smell gas/fumes in the living space or anywhere else for that matter.
I would LOVE to have gas service available to me, for many reasons.
Yes, I realize gas is almost always less expensive and provides warmer heat; but due to health issues, I'm interested in converting our existing gas furnace (the A/C is already electric, of course) to electric. Does anyone here know of any easy, fairly inexpensive ways to do this without replacing the entire furnace? TIA
You can't, cost effectively convert your existing furnace. You would need to install a new one, which entailes tbi vs mentioned already, such as a seperate 240/220 service plug. I don't know what health issues having a gas furnace would effect. If your furnace is giving off a smell or smoke something is WAY wrong.
I think you would be quite unbappy with electric central heat. To be quite blunt, it sucks. Literally! It will screww your heating budget up, big time. A high efficiency ( they go as high as 95-99%) gas furnace would be better. They are expensive, but it would probably be less than installing electric, and the certainly cheaper to operate.
Tbese units burn so well that flue gas is nothing more than water vapor. The stacks are just PVC pipe. Stack temp is nil. IDK. Your health issues that negate gas use confuse me. I would need to know what specific issues are there, but I have never heard of such problems.
To address the issue of health concerns regarding natural gas: if you're sensitive to combustion by-products, gas heat can cause issues. Additionally, we've had trouble in our area with residents having to leave their homes for days at a time due to leaks. Just too much risk all around for our situation--yes, I'm saying for us personally. I realize you're trying to be helpful, but we don't need to be sold on gas heat.
We've had both electric and gas heat before. Yes, electric is more expensive and is a cooler-feeling heat. We don't mind any of that.
The existing furnace is very close to the breaker box--within feet--so that's not a huge issue. HWTechGuy, could you explain again what you meant about having 2 heat pumps but no gas service?
To address the issue of health concerns regarding natural gas: if you're sensitive to combustion by-products, gas heat can cause issues
Only if it is leaking - and it really doesn't matter your personal health issues if that is the case since it will be happy to harm a perfectly robustly healthy person as well as one with breathing problems - CO et al doesn't discriminate.
Having typed that and looking over my own gas heat, the entire system downstairs appears to be modular - there is the lower blower section, the middle heating section, and the top cooling section. Without knowing practically anything about this it certainly appears that replacing the middle section literally is the only thing to do to convert the system to electric. I certainly would NOT do this, BTW, but it also certainly looks possible.
Sullyguy, that's what I was wondering--is there some way to remove the gas pilot and other components, etc. and install an electric heating element on the existing furnace. Understand, I'm not wanting to do some sort of crazy, taped-together retrofit. Just wanting to know if there are any safe, legitimate ways to get electric heat without replacing the whole unit.
Sullyguy, that's what I was wondering--
is there some Easy & Cheap Way to Convert a Gas Furnace to Electric? way to remove the gas
pilot and other components, etc. and install an electric heating element on the existing furnace.
No there really isn't. There are only difficult and expensive ways.
That's why everyone says to either live with the best heating method available (gas)
or to replace that equipment altogether. There's really no practical "in-between"
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