Feeling good at home, sheltered from the weather and comfortable, is a simple enough thing to want. Heating does most of the work of delivering it in Quebec, and the options have multiplied. Even so, most homes are still heated by a furnace, which remains the least expensive route. Furnaces come in four kinds (electric, propane, natural gas and oil), each with its strengths and its limits. This article is about the electric ones.
How an electric furnace works. An electric furnace passes air over electrical resistance elements to heat it, then a blower pushes that warm air through a system of ducts to the rest of the house. There is no combustion, so there is no flame, no flue and no fuel delivery.
Why people choose one. Electric furnaces keep gaining ground as a replacement for oil heating, because they are cleaner, quieter, produce no on-site emissions and cost less than a gas furnace. If your house already has ventilation ducts, installation is quick and straightforward. Where they sit against the other options on running cost is covered in our piece on the most economical way to heat a home.
Start with an assessment. Before anything else, have one of our heating specialists look at your particular situation: the system you are replacing, the type of house, the state of the insulation. That determines whether any work is needed before installation, and which configuration suits the space: upflow, horizontal, downflow, or a multi-position unit that can be set up more than one way.
Look for an ECM blower. Choose a furnace with an electronically commutated motor. It adjusts blower speed automatically instead of running flat out, which gives you more even air circulation, better efficiency, and as a bonus better air quality, because the air spends more time moving through the filter.
Check the warranty and the after-sales service. This matters as much as the equipment. Make sure whoever sells it to you can support it for the long term. A furnace typically carries a 10-year warranty, and the value of that warranty depends entirely on the company standing behind it.
Then weigh price against performance. With all of the above settled, look at value for money, and at the practical things: how it looks, how easy it is to live with, how simple the controls are.
Allard & Emond installs furnaces from Mitsubishi, York, Goodman and Moovair. For an all-electric home the one to look at is the Stelpro SFE, a compact electric furnace built for clean, flame-free heat, and our furnace page sets out the full range alongside the gas and central options. Some heating upgrades qualify for government rebates as well.
If you are considering an electric furnace and have questions, speak with one of our specialists or request an estimate online, and we will get back to you quickly. Before the cold arrives, our guide to preparing your furnace for winter is worth a read.
