Gas Furnace & Boiler Services in Northern Allegheny & Butler Counties
Gas heating offers convenience and money savings
A standard gas-fired furnace. This type of furnace must vent through a chimney and uses room air to aid combustion.
Gas furnaces and boilers can be operated with natural gas or propane. Propane is typically more expensive, but is much more readily available. To heat your home with natural gas, you must have an underground distribution system in your area.
Gas-fired furnaces and boilers can be modified to burn propane or natural gas fuel. A furnace will supply hot air to a forced-air heating system; a boiler supplies hot water for heating and/or washing.
With the newest technology available, gas furnaces can operate at over 94% efficiency. This means that by upgrading from a 65% efficient gas furnace to a 96% gas furnace, you'll drop your gas bill by 31% just by doing that alone!
Kennihan's Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning can service and repair your gas furnace or boiler to ensure maximum efficiency. We will also provide a free quote for oil furnace or boiler replacement. We can install an energy-efficient gas boiler or furnace to improve your home’s comfort and save you money on heating costs.
Contact us today to request a heating system inspection and estimate!
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What does "efficiency rating" mean?
A furnace, boiler or water heater burns fuel to generate heat and needs to put that heat into an air stream in your ducts, or into water in your pipes. The efficiency rating is what percentage of that heat gets into your air or water. What happens to the rest of the heat? It goes up the chimney and is lost into the sky.
Therefore, a 15-year-old furnace that is 65% efficient is putting 35% of the heat you paid for up the chimney. A 96% efficient furnace only "wastes" 4%! And since the cost of the fuel you put through a furnace, boiler or water heater during its lifetime is much greater than the cost of the unit itself, it's worth it to install the very highest efficiency equipment available.
Learn more about your existing heating system or the heating system options available.
Differences between propane & natural gas
Propane contains more energy than natural gas, so producing a given amount of heat will require less propane than natural gas. However, propane is also more expensive than natural gas, offsetting its higher energy content. The choice between the two fuels often depends on what is available locally.
Propane is stored in one or more tanks located outside the house; tanks are refilled as necessary by a truck dispatched from a local propane dealer. Small propane containers —the kind that fuel outdoor grills—can be brought in for refills by the homeowner.
Propane and natural gas produce less pollution than fuel oil when burned, so environmental advocates tend to prefer gas over oil. Also, the planned development of natural gas reserves in the U.S. promises to make the price of natural gas and propane more stable than the price of fuel oil.
Sealed-combustion furnaces are super-efficient
A sealed-combustion furnace is so named because the combustion chamber is sealed in order to have more control over the combustion process. The air required for combustion is piped to the combustion chamber from outside the house, through a small-diameter plastic pipe. Gasses that result from combustion are also vented outside through a plastic pipe, with assistance from a small fan. This type of furnace is also sometimes called "direct vent" because it can be vented through an exterior wall. No chimney is necessary.
Sealed-combustion furnaces are super-efficient, earning AFUE ratings of 90% or higher. Nearly all the heat potential of the fuel is extracted, making flue gasses cool enough to be passed through a plastic exhaust pipe. A small amount of water results during the heat condensing cycle, and this condensate is typically piped to a floor drain.
A sealed-combustion gas furnace is a smart choice if you are thinking about replacing an old furnace. In addition to cutting your gas bill, this type of furnace will be safer to operate because there's little danger of backdrafting (which can pull hazardous combustion gasses into your living space).
Contact us today for a gas heating estimate
Call 1-724-898-2587 or contact us online to schedule a home inspection and gas heating installation or replacement estimate. We also offer a comprehensive home energy audit.
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