# Anyone ever convert from Propane furnace to electric?



## fishit (Jul 12, 2007)

the cost of propane is crazy. i am thinking about switching my furnace out at my house from propane to electric. does this make any sense to do at all? has anyone done this and seen a benefit? i have no idea what a new furnace would cost plus the installation for it. 

i curently have propane furnace, stove and water heater.


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## Mont (Nov 17, 1998)

If you are in the $3 per gallon range for propane and around .12 per KHW for power, it's a wash. On the other hand, I went from Propane to natural gas and my monthly gas bill went from $285 to $45. You might see some savings by going to a high efficiency heat pump, but that's got to be factored against the improvements you will have to make to the electrical side of things to support the heat pump and electric heater.


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## fishit (Jul 12, 2007)

thanks for the info Mont. i am paying .10 for electric, but who knows what it will be at when my contract expires. i know i would be looking at high upfront costs to change everything out, but don't want to do it for marginal savings over the long run. i am not moving and will pay this house off in 13 yrs. yep propane has hit that $3 and up mark.


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## Bluffer (Feb 24, 2005)

For starters should have a 100 amp load center to run elec furnace.


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## Larry Pure (May 18, 2006)

Do you own your propane tank, or lease it ? I lease mine and am committed to them as sole provider. I still call around for prices as if I owned the tank, and make them match the rates as close as possible (usually with in $0.10 ) before I commit to a fill up. Last purchased 30 days ago went from $2.80/ gal down to $2.30 per gal. Fifty cents times 300 gallons is worth the calls.


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## Larry Pure (May 18, 2006)

It would be helpfull to see some prices quoted on this site periodicly to help hammer these pirates down to reality. I don't mind anyone making a profit, but last year California was warm and the propane industry picked up the additional monies in Texas.


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## Mont (Nov 17, 1998)

There's also a system called an add on heat pump which is the best of both worlds. When temps are mild, it runs the heat pump and if that can't keep up, then it switches back to propane heat. The beauty is you can still use your gas furnace and there's usually no upgrade required on the electrical side. It amounts to a new outside unit, new coil inside, and a control system to make it all work right. With prices going up and down on propane and power, you can "dial in" whichever one you want to use to heat the house. Most of the time, unless it's raining, the heat pump will carry the house for heat. When it won't it automatically turns off the heat pump, fires up the furnace and you are good to go. It also gives you two sources of heat in a bind.


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## RLwhaler (Sep 10, 2005)

Fi****,you must of read my mind whem posting this.....on my second year with propane,500 gallons tank,came home yesterday with a bill hung at the door..for 821.00 bucks filled up at 75% !! My furnace and water heater is on propane.

RL



fi**** said:


> the cost of propane is crazy. i am thinking about switching my furnace out at my house from propane to electric. does this make any sense to do at all? has anyone done this and seen a benefit? i have no idea what a new furnace would cost plus the installation for it.
> 
> i curently have propane furnace, stove and water heater.


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## RLwhaler (Sep 10, 2005)

Mont,that's some great info.Is there a link on the web for this system so that I could read on it? Also,my neighborhood is ALL on Propane,with no natural gas at all.How much would something like this cost?

Thanks a Bunch,
RL



Mont said:


> There's also a system called an add on heat pump which is the best of both worlds. When temps are mild, it runs the heat pump and if that can't keep up, then it switches back to propane heat. The beauty is you can still use your gas furnace and there's usually no upgrade required on the electrical side. It amounts to a new outside unit, new coil inside, and a control system to make it all work right. With prices going up and down on propane and power, you can "dial in" whichever one you want to use to heat the house. Most of the time, unless it's raining, the heat pump will carry the house for heat. When it won't it automatically turns off the heat pump, fires up the furnace and you are good to go. It also gives you two sources of heat in a bind.


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## Mont (Nov 17, 1998)

Just do a little googling and you can find a bunch of information on add on heat pumps. It's really just a small control box that makes a heat pump work with a gas furnace. I used to sell a lot of them when utility prices were jumping all over the place. It was hard to say which type of system was going to be the cheapest to run in a few years, so those systems made selecting a system (and heat source) quite easy. I had a full heat pump system in my last house and it worked great. We added on to that house and the zone was a little on the small side for a gas heat system. As a former propane user myself, I can tell you, it's expensive stuff. If you ever replace that propane furnace, get the best one money can buy. Same for that water heater, go with the best.


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## FishinFoolFaron (Feb 11, 2009)

The control system is a simple as an electronic programmable thermostat and an outdoor sensor. The heat pump with a propane back-up is an excellent option in those areas that don't have natural gas available. This option is the least cost and most efficient of all other options.


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## [email protected] (Mar 30, 2015)

fi**** said:


> the cost of propane is crazy. i am thinking about switching my furnace out at my house from propane to electric. does this make any sense to do at all? has anyone done this and seen a benefit? i have no idea what a new furnace would cost plus the installation for it.
> 
> i curently have propane furnace, stove and water heater.


Actually I am more interested in how your forum comment showed up as a #10 first page response in a Google search for electric to gas furnace conversion kits?


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