Does Your Furnace Use the Same Amount of Power as Your Air Conditioner?

Writer • Dec 11, 2019

If you are like many other homeowners, your winter heating bills tend to be much higher than your summer cooling bills. While a lower summertime power bill does not necessarily mean air conditioners are more efficient than heating units, one can’t help but wonder why their bill for running the AC at full blast all summer is so similar to what it would cost to use the heater for just one month in winter.

Below is a guide to understanding the difference between AC power usage and furnace power usage in Kalamazoo, MI.

Air conditioners

You may not know this, but air conditioners don’t actually add cold air to a room. Rather, ACs work hard to move heat out of your home. Because heat is energy and cooler temperatures are the result of the lack of that energy, cooling your home is just the gathering of any heat energy inside and moving it out. The way air conditioners do this is by using electricity. This process lowers the temperature inside the house, which makes your space more comfortable during the hot summer months.

Furnaces

The most common type of furnace is a gas-powered central air system, also known as a ducted warm-air or forced warm-air distribution system. This system heats the air in one area before distributing the newly warmed air to other parts of your home through the ductwork and vents. Furnaces are made up of a thermostat, electrical controls, burners, gas valves, a blower, a heat exchanger and a ductwork and ventilation system. When your furnace kicks on, it creates heat, and the combustion gases get vented out of your home through a flue pipe.

Fuel sources

Air conditioning units require electricity to work, but there are many fuel sources that can be used to heat your home. These include wood, pellets, natural gas and propane. Heat pumps—which operate like air conditioners, but in reverse—and electricity can also be used to heat your home. The efficiency of your cooling and heating systems depends on the quality and condition of the units and the type of fuel source. But when you compare an air conditioner to an electric furnace, an air conditioner is more efficient at doing its job.

Final words

The majority of utility companies around the U.S. note that the most electricity usage takes place during the warm summer months, since air conditioners use electricity to cool down spaces. Come winter, natural gas and propane usage goes up, as many homeowners run gas-powered furnaces to keep warm.

For the safety of your family and the health of your home, it’s important to make sure your furnace is ready to do its job reliably and efficiently all winter long. If you have questions about furnace power usage and AC power usage in Kalamazoo, MI, or if you need to schedule an appointment for professional HVAC service, call All Brands Heating & Cooling. We’d love to help you out, and we’re available 24/7 to handle emergency service calls!

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