Heating Options for Your Custom Home

You have a lot to consider when designing your custom home: curb appeal, materials, landscaping, flooring, shingles, and more. But one of the most important aspects is one you don’t see, but certainly feel: your HVAC system.

At Absolute Construction, we design our homes around energy efficiency and sustainability, so we take HVAC very seriously. You have several options available for your custom home, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a guide to get you started.

Gas Furnace

Natural gas heat is popular for many reasons. For one, gas is almost always cheaper to operate than electric. Gas furnaces also heat up way more quickly so that heat gets into your home faster. It’s also a natural step if you’re already installing other gas appliances, such as a range.

The main drawback to gas heat is maintenance and lifespan. An improperly maintained gas furnace can produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is extremely dangerous. Units also don’t last as long as electric ones.

Electric Furnace

Electric heat is a much less expensive option upfront, especially if you’re in a warmer climate where you don’t run your furnace often. Some models even boast 100% efficiency. But electric heat is fundamentally more expensive to run than gas heat, and the bills can add up over time. Electric furnaces also take a longer time to warm up.

But if you go the electric route, you do have a maintenance advantage: while they require the occasional check-up, most electric furnaces are essentially maintenance-free. They also have a significantly longer lifespan than gas furnaces.

Heat Pump

Air conditioning works by pulling warm air out of your house, then pushing the cooled air back in. Heat pumps work in reverse: they extract any heat from outside air (even if it’s cold – science, right?) and then push it into your home.

This mechanism of action has one significant drawback: the colder it is outside, the less efficient heat pumps are, making them a poor choice for very cold climates.

Looking for a beautiful, sustainable custom home in the Triangle? Absolute Construction builds cutting-edge, energy efficient homes using the latest technology and construction techniques. Contact us today to get started!