In many parts of the country, an oil burning furnace has been traditional but with more and more areas being hooked up to piped-in natural gas, a gas furnace is something you should consider. If you already have outfitted your home with gas piping, especially for appliances like gas ovens, it might make a lot of sense to convert your furnace too. Just as an oil furnace produces heat by burning oil, a gas furnace produces heat by burning natural gas. The biggest differences are that gas burns cleaner and more efficiently than oil and gas is often much less expensive in piped-in areas.
Gas not only burns cleaner than oil, the gas furnace is much more efficient. It uses less fuel to produce the same amount of heat and produces lower amounts of emissions so there is less exhaust. This eliminates the need for a chimney for ventilation, another cost saver. The cleaner burning, higher efficiency contributes to natural gas being a more economical option for homeowners as even if prices were the same as oil, you use less of the natural gas so it still saves on energy costs.
One reason that some homeowners have been hesitant to switch to a natural gas furnace is that they are afraid of gas leaks. A gas leak is very dangerous, of course, but there are safeguards against the danger. Since natural gas is odorless and colorless, the companies are required to add an odor to it. This smells rather like rotten eggs and is quite distinctive. By keeping the furnace and gas lines regularly maintained and serviced professionally, you will have little likelihood of experiencing a gas leak.
On a side note, another good advantage to gas over oil furnaces is that gas heated homes tend to be more eco friendly in terms of air quality. Of course this depends on installing a high quality furnace air filter to make sure air borne particles and other allergens get removed while the air is
To explore the option of a gas furnace in your area, try searching online for more information. There are many websites that can give you the pros and cons of a natural gas furnace and you can compare the prices and operating costs easily.