Furnace vs Boiler in Kanawha County, West Virginia
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats air and pushes it out through the vents you already have. With winter nights averaging 27°F here, that ductwork carries heat to every room without much delay.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor, a boiler is the machine built for that. It also runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace, which matters over seven months of heating each year. A boiler warms the room itself rather than the air passing through it, so it fits a home already set up with radiators or in-floor pipes.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats air and pushes it out through the vents you already have. With winter nights averaging 27°F here, that ductwork carries heat to every room without much delay.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor, a boiler is the machine built for that. It also runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace, which matters over seven months of heating each year. A boiler warms the room itself rather than the air passing through it, so it fits a home already set up with radiators or in-floor pipes.
Furnace
- Runs on
- Natural gas
- What it does
- Heats only
- Tax credit
- No federal tax credit since the end of 2025
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy · Internal Revenue Code
Boiler
- Runs on
- Natural gas
- What it does
- Heats only
- Tax credit
- No federal tax credit since the end of 2025
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy · Internal Revenue Code
Furnace wins in Kanawha County.
Across this region, 48% of homes heat with a furnace and just 2% with a boiler, so that's the setup contractors here know best.
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ductwork, a boiler is still the better choice.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Furnace | Boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | About 5% less to run |
| What it does | Heats only | Heats only |
| Homes in the South Atlantic states that heat with one | 48% | 2% |
| Handles a 27°F night | Yes | Yes |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats air and pushes it out through the vents you already have. With winter nights averaging 27°F here, that ductwork carries heat to every room without much delay.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor, a boiler is the machine built for that. It also runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace, which matters over seven months of heating each year. A boiler warms the room itself rather than the air passing through it, so it fits a home already set up with radiators or in-floor pipes.
A Kanawha County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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