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Assuming the furnace is electric too, they should both be the same efficiency, since 100% of the power is being eventually turned into heat, unless the light fr
by cl0ckt0wer 8y ago
Assuming the furnace is electric too, they should both be the same efficiency, since 100% of the power is being eventually turned into heat, unless the light from the LEDs are going outside.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y agoI never considered an electric furnace - I come from a land of ice and snow and the only real option is natural gas.
- freetime2 8y agoI live in a land of ice and snow and we rely entirely on mini-split heat pumps in the winter [1]. Admittedly they do lose efficiency quickly when temps drop well below freezing, but they work well enough here. I have also seen some pretty cool looking "passive" houses that, due to excellent insulation, are able to heat the entire house with a 3kW furnace [2]. And these are in very cold locations (e.g. Alberta, Canada). Electric heating is the future! [1] https://learn.compactappliance.com/mini-split-heat-pumps/ https://learn.compactappliance.com/mini-split-heat-pumps/ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlA4_lesrU4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlA4_lesrU4
- SketchySeaBeast 8y agoI live in Alberta - I love the idea of a passively heated house, but for now I'll stick with my 25 kW (converted from BTU) gas furnace. It's about 5 cents / kW for electricity and 0.5 cents for natural gas. That house would still cost more to heat. Sadly natural gas has a carbon footprint by default.
- throw0101a 8y agoWhat you want is not an "electric furnace", which uses electrical heating elements, but a heat pump per one of the other replies. Mitsubishi has some that can extract heat from the outside air even down to -30C. Most though only work down to about +5C (they're used in more temperate climates). So check the specs. They also work for AC.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y agoThe highest BTU heat pump I see is 46,000 - that's not going to be a solution for a lot of homes, which need 30,000 / 1000 sq ft, not to mention loss in efficiency as the heat drops so you're getting less than that when you need it the most.
- throw0101a 8y agoHow much you need to heat/cool a home is more of a function of its level of insulation and air tightness than its mechanical capacity. It's possible to design house that need almost zero BTUs: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house When looking at bang-for-buck / value / ROI, better insulation and air sealing should be done first. If you can reduce the number of your blower door test, then you'll have to spend less on running capacity (and their related costs).
- SketchySeaBeast 8y agoPassive houses are cool, but most houses aren't, and can't be retrofitted to fit the requirements.
- throw0101a 8y agoTrue, but they show that comfort is possible without crazy mechanical power. Improve your insulation first, and you'll need less BTUs afterwards.
- Buttons840 8y agoSo, assuming you have an electric furnace, it basically costs nothing to run all the electronics in your house? (Also assuming it's cold enough outside that you never want to cool the house.) I guess the water heater might cost some money, since it produces heat, but a lot of that heat just goes down the drain with the water.