Round 2: Electric Furnace vs. Geothermal Heat Pump

Well, we've already seen Gas Furnace emerge supreme in the first bracket. Now it's time to see which home heating system will play for the right to be called the 2008 champion of toastiness. The match-up in this semi-final is Electric Furnace, which took out Radiant Heating, versus Geothermal Heat Pumps, which had the edge over Air Source Heat Pumps. Let's get to it!

Electric Furnace Geothermal Heat Pumps

Electric Furnace

As discussed in the first round, the Electric Furnace is a modern marvel; a heating system that doesn't rely on fossil fuels, and is incredibly efficient. The only negative side is the effects that consistent use will have on your monthly electric bill. There's no doubt that, especially in colder climinates, your electric furnace will need to take a chunk out of your wallet to keep you warm and cozy. So, with this being the biggest potential chink in Electric Furnace's armor, how will the Geothermal squad exploit this weakness?

Geothermal Heat Pumps

If you recall, one of the greatest claims to fame for Geothermal or ground source heat pumps is their environmental friendliness. These systems use renewable energy in the form of heat from the sun that is captured in the ground and utilized as a heating source in the cold season. Among all the systems in our home heating tournament, Geothermal Heat Pumps are widely regarded as a prototype concept for the future of heating in a "green" world. Their efficiency equals or betters electric furnaces, and homeowners who install them rarely have complaints. With all that being said, Geothermal Heat Pumps can't quite deliver the knockout punch on the more popular Electric Furnace. The simple fact is that, while ground source pumps may be the wave of the future, installing a geothermal system can be very expensive, and even downright unreasonable for some homes. It may even take more than seven years for your gas and electric bill savings to pay back the expense of that installation service. So, at least for now, it would appear that economic superiority is one thing Geothermal Heat Pumps can't claim over the more easily installed Electric Furnace.

And the winner is. . .
Electric Furnace. It's safe to say we'll be hearing from those Geothermal folks again real soon. But for now, our Home Heating Championship is set, matching up to iconic heat systems: Electric Furnace vs. Gas Furnace! Who's it gonna be?!