Gas furnaces run on natural gas or propane. A gas furnace always requires a chimney or flue pipe to exhaust the burnt gases. There are two types of gas furnaces.
>Noncondensing (80% efficiency)
>Condensing (92%-98% efficiency)
> Almost always used with an A/C system.
> Blower motor in the furnace is used in the summer to move the air for cooling.
> Can be located in the attic or crawl space.
> Split systems have a condenser outside and air handler in the furnace and the evaporator could attached to the furnace (usually in the attic or crawl space).
> Package unit has condenser, air handler and gas furnace in one unit and always sits outside.
> A Carbon Monoxide detector is an absolute MUST!!! (A carbon monoxide detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide gas to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.)
Operates in warm and cold weather. Typically used when electricity is the only source of energy available. Heat pumps heat and cools your house.
> Split systems have condenser outside and air handler with evaporator coil inside (usually in the attic or crawl space).
> Package units have the condenser and air handler in one unit and the package unit is outside.
> Heat pumps generally use electric strip heat as a backup in the cold weather.
> Condenser on heat pumps need to use the defrost cycle in the wintertime.
Electric furnaces use electric to heat. It does not require a chimney or flue pipe. Sometimes it is used along side a heat pump system. It is typically found in mobile homes.
> Found in split systems. (Split systems have condenser outside. and air handler with evaporator coil inside (usually located in a closet in the mobile home).
> Can be expensive to operate.