How Many Watts Does a Furnace Use? Do They Consume Lots of Power?

Furnaces are a vital component of a home’s infrastructure, particularly in chilly and northern regions. Furnaces make sure that homes remain heat in the winter season, trying to keep people secure and comfy. But furnaces can also use a whole lot of strength and operate up utility charges. How many watts of energy does a furnace use? Do furnaces eat a whole lot of electrical power throughout regular use?

Furnaces do use a good deal of vitality, but just how considerably power is dependent on what kind of furnace you have. There are a variety of different kinds of furnaces from electric powered to propane to all-natural gasoline. Each kind employs a diverse sum of vitality from the other people. Electric powered furnaces use the most electrical power since they do not have a secondary gas supply to tap into. But fuel furnaces still use some electrical power to operate the blowers and the pilot mild and other small issues. Electrical furnaces can use as much as 50,000W (fifty kW) if they are huge. On the minimal finish, electrical furnaces can use as little as 10,000W (ten kW). Gas furnaces normally use considerably less than 1,000W of strength.

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Electric Furnace

Electric furnaces use a lot of vitality. On common, electric furnaces will use about thirty,000W for every hour. That is far more than most other house appliances. Getting to use electrical energy to repeatedly heat a residence employing electric heating components rapidly runs up the power meter. That sum of electrical power can swiftly turn into costly. The typical believed value to operate an electrical furnace over the program of a calendar year is $2,000. That translates to an added $166 per month in electric power charges.

Low High Average
Wattage (W) 10,000 50,000 30,000

The good news is, gasoline furnaces use significantly less wattage to purpose, but they do demand you to spend for an extra gas resource.

furnace system in the basement
Image Credit: J.A. Dunbar, Shutterstock

Gas Furnace

Fuel furnaces use much significantly less electricity than electric powered furnaces. Fuel furnaces generally use in between 400W and 800W. Most of that electrical power is utilized by the furnace’s supporters and blowers. The blowers use electric power to circulate heat air by means of the residence. They are also employed to eliminate possibly dangerous fumes and exhaust from the furnace and vent it out of the property. Some fuel furnaces also use electricity to preserve a pilot light-weight or as a starter to fireplace up the gas furnace when it is off. The regular fuel furnace utilizes close to 600W of electricity per hour.

Furnace Blower

Furnace blowers use the most electric power when it will come to gasoline furnaces. Even so, electric powered furnaces also use blowers to flow into air. Electrical furnaces produce most of their energy usage from the heating element, but they also use electrical power from the blower. Below is how a lot energy different sorts of furnace blowers will possibly use.

Single Speed Blower 500W – 1000W
PCS Multi-Speed Blower 400W – 800W
Variable Motor (Two Stage Furnace) 100W – 600W
Variable Motor (Single Stage Furnace) 200W – 300W

For electric furnaces these figures will pale in comparison to the complete vitality utilization but for gas furnaces, they can make a large variation in total vitality use.

a furnace blower
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Furnace Power Usage Compared

When it arrives to other massive appliances, electric furnaces reign supreme. Other vitality-guzzling appliances contain factors like area heaters, air conditioners, scorching tubs, and ovens. All of individuals appliances generally hover all around 4000W. In comparison, electric powered furnaces melt away 30,000W or more. Even on the lower conclude, close to ten,000W, electrical furnaces even now use 2 times as significantly electrical power as the following equipment.

Appliance Typical Wattage
Refrigerator 150W
Gas Furnace 600W
Oven 2000W
Space Heater 4000W
Air Conditioner 4000W
Hot Tub 5000W
Electric Furnace 30,000W

Gasoline furnaces fare greater. Gasoline furnaces that use all around 600W use much less power than most other massive appliances. The only massive equipment a lot more power successful than a fuel furnace is the refrigerator which employs all around 150W per hour. You do have to aspect in the expense of running a gasoline furnace. The charges vary by area based on propane and normal gasoline expenses for your hook up.

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Conclusion

There are two primary varieties of furnaces, gasoline and electric powered. Gas furnaces do not use extremely significantly power, but electric furnaces use a boatload of electric power. The wattage of an electric furnace is roughly 100x that of a gas furnace. Electrical furnaces outstrip virtually each other massive appliance in the residence by wide margins. If you are hunting to save money on energy, it would be a very good thought to switch from an electrical furnace to some thing far more successful, ideally a fuel furnace.

Sources

Showcased Graphic Credit rating: oasisamuel, Shutterstock

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