Furnace vs Boiler in St. Charles County, Missouri
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your house already has ductwork. It heats air and pushes it through the ducts you have, and across this region most homes are set up exactly that way. With winter nights averaging 25°F and about seven months of heating ahead each year, you want a system that matches what your house was built for.
When a boiler makes sense
A boiler makes sense if your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts. It also runs about 5% cheaper than a furnace at Missouri gas prices, which adds up over seven months of heating a year. If your house was never set up with ductwork, a boiler works with what you already have instead of asking you to add ducts for a furnace.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your house already has ductwork. It heats air and pushes it through the ducts you have, and across this region most homes are set up exactly that way. With winter nights averaging 25°F and about seven months of heating ahead each year, you want a system that matches what your house was built for.
When a boiler makes sense
A boiler makes sense if your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts. It also runs about 5% cheaper than a furnace at Missouri gas prices, which adds up over seven months of heating a year. If your house was never set up with ductwork, a boiler works with what you already have instead of asking you to add ducts for a furnace.
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 St. Charles County.
In the Plains states, 77.6% of homes heat with a furnace, so most already have the ductwork it needs.
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 Plains states that heat with one | 77.6% | 6.5% |
| Handles a 25°F night | Yes | Yes |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your house already has ductwork. It heats air and pushes it through the ducts you have, and across this region most homes are set up exactly that way. With winter nights averaging 25°F and about seven months of heating ahead each year, you want a system that matches what your house was built for.
When a boiler makes sense
A boiler makes sense if your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts. It also runs about 5% cheaper than a furnace at Missouri gas prices, which adds up over seven months of heating a year. If your house was never set up with ductwork, a boiler works with what you already have instead of asking you to add ducts for a furnace.
A St. Charles County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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