An AC Unit with Gas Furnace is Cost-Efficient

    There are many different types of systems you can use to heat and cool your home – An AC unit with a gas furnace is cost-efficient in both the summer and winter.

    A gas furnace with an air conditioning combo is an excellent choice for both cooling and heating your home. Also known as gas-electric systems, these HVAC units use natural or propane gas to heat your home in the winter while relying on electricity to cool it during the summer. No matter the season, this system has efficiencies to balance home comfort and your budget.

    You might hear these systems called many different things, like:

    No matter the way they are referenced, they use the same technology to provide just the right temperature all year.

    How does a gas furnace with an air conditioning component work?

    It starts with the thermostat. Most modern homes have thermostats that control both the heating and cooling of the house. If a thermostat is set at a certain temperature – 72 Degrees Heating & Air Conditioning, for example – the HVAC unit will kick in as necessary to maintain that set temperature. If the temp rises above 72 Degrees Heating & Air Conditioning, the electricity-powered AC portion of the unit will activate until the optimal temperature is reached. If the temp in a room dip below 72 Degrees Heating & Air Conditioning, the gas-powered furnace will activate and stay on until the temperature rises back to 72 Degrees Heating & Air Conditioning.


    The cost of replacing an HVAC unit ranges from $5,000 to $10,000, with a national average of $7,000. This equates to between $25 to $60 per square foot. Prices are determined by the size and brand of the HVAC system, the size of the house, the length of the ductwork, and the efficiency rating of the new unit.


    A well-maintained furnace should last at least 15 to 20 years but doing yearly maintenance and being attentive to repairs will help it survive even longer. When your furnace is roughly 15 years old, it’s time to start looking at new equipment so you’re ready when it’s time to replace it. You’ll want to learn about the most current, energy-efficient solutions available, as well as acquire a price estimate. If conserving energy is important to you, you should understand the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating.


    The appropriate furnace size is determined mostly by a home’s square footage and sun exposure. The capacity of a furnace or boiler is measured in BTUs or British Thermal Units. This is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Furnaces exist in a variety of sizes and BTU levels to meet the vast range of household heating demands. Remember that this figure is only an estimate, and your expert HVAC installer will be able to identify the exact size and type that would work best for your house.

    When the gas furnace is activated…
    • An inducer fan begins to pull air through the unit. Once the airflow reaches a certain velocity, a valve opens, allowing gas to flow through. This gas is then lit by the unit’s igniter.
    • The gas will burn for a certain period – usually not for more than a couple of minutes. After this period, the unit’s blower will activate.
    • Air will be passed over the device’s heat exchanger, where it will be heated and distributed into your home via ducts and airways.
    • Once the thermostat’s preset temperature is reached, the gas will automatically turn off, leaving your house at the desired temp.
    When the air conditioner is activated…
    • Contrary to popular belief, air conditioners make a room cooler not strictly by pumping cold air into it but by removing warm air, recirculating it, and replacing that warm air with cooler air. To do this
    • The AC unit uses a refrigerant generally a chemical called freon to cool the air in a house. The unit evaporates freon and uses the result of this evaporation cycle to circulate cool air.
    • Ironically, the process of creating a cool area starts with heat. Freon is a gas. The AC unit compresses this cool gas, causing it to become very hot. The hot gas then passes through the unit, a process that dissipates the heat and turns the gas into a liquid. The unit then evaporates the liquid and, in the process, turns it back into cold freon gas, which both absorbs heat and cools a home simultaneously.
    What are the benefits of a combination gas furnace with air conditioning?
    • It’s a two-in one system; you benefit from it both in the winter and the summer.
    • Most current gas furnaces with air conditioning systems – when properly maintained – are very efficient and cost-effective, and can last many, many years.