Gas Forced Air Vs. Central Heat

Gas Forced Air Heating

• Gas forced air heating systems are widely used in homes. These systems use gas burners to heat a large metal chamber. Air is pushed over the chamber, where it is warmed. A fan then forces the air through a system of ducts. The ducts distribute and "vent" the heated air into various rooms to provide warmth. The ducts can vent the heated air through vents on floors, baseboards or on walls.

Central Heating

• Central heating systems are commonly called "HVAC" systems, which stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. These systems work in tandem with the outdoor air conditioning unit and the indoor gas or oil furnace. This is called a "split system." In the winter, the system extracts cool air from indoors and transfers it outside, so that warm air remains inside for distribution throughout the house through ducts. In the summer, the reverse takes place to cool the home. A central system can be fueled by gas or electric energy.

Similarities

• Forced air heating systems and central heating systems can both work with a gas furnace. Forced air and central heating can also be combined. This is because both are actually heat delivery systems. Both types of systems rely on duct channels to distribute heat to various rooms. The other similarity is that either system can emit heat through floor, baseboard or wall vents. Most homes in the United States actually use a gas forced air central heating system combination. They use gas as the fuel for the furnace and central heating to distribute the heat to rooms throughout the house, and to connect the entire system together as an HVAC heating and cooling system.

Differences

• Furnace types and costs are the biggest difference between gas forced air and central heating systems. A gas forced air system can work with a gas, propane or electric furnace. Central heating systems work with gas or oil furnaces and require electricity for the outdoor condenser unit. Costs can be variable. Both gas and electricity costs are seasonal and can fluctuate based on changes economic market conditions, consumer usage and weather changes. Consumers with combination gas forced air and central heating systems typically spend more on electricity in the summer to operate the air conditioning component of the system, and more on gas in the winter to heat their homes.