Furnace vs Boiler in Thurston County, Washington
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts in place, a furnace is the simpler path, since installing them from scratch is a bigger job than using what is there. Winter nights here average 34°F, and a furnace pushes heated air through those ducts to bring rooms up to temperature. The same ducts can carry air conditioning too, if you want that later.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts, a boiler fits what you already have. It also runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace, which adds up over the roughly 10 months a year this county needs heat. A boiler only heats, though, so summer cooling would have to come from somewhere else.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts in place, a furnace is the simpler path, since installing them from scratch is a bigger job than using what is there. Winter nights here average 34°F, and a furnace pushes heated air through those ducts to bring rooms up to temperature. The same ducts can carry air conditioning too, if you want that later.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts, a boiler fits what you already have. It also runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace, which adds up over the roughly 10 months a year this county needs heat. A boiler only heats, though, so summer cooling would have to come from somewhere else.
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 Thurston County.
In the Pacific states, 56.9% of homes heat with a furnace, so just over half already have the ductwork it needs.
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes and no ductwork, a boiler still makes more sense than adding ducts for a furnace.
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 Pacific states that heat with one | 56.9% | 1.6% |
| Handles a 34°F night | Yes | Yes |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts in place, a furnace is the simpler path, since installing them from scratch is a bigger job than using what is there. Winter nights here average 34°F, and a furnace pushes heated air through those ducts to bring rooms up to temperature. The same ducts can carry air conditioning too, if you want that later.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts, a boiler fits what you already have. It also runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace, which adds up over the roughly 10 months a year this county needs heat. A boiler only heats, though, so summer cooling would have to come from somewhere else.
A Thurston County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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