Furnace vs Boiler in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats the air directly and pushes it through the house, and with eight months of heating ahead of you and nights averaging 21°F, you want a system that already matches what's in your walls.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor rather than ducts, a boiler is built for that and runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace. Radiant heat holds up well through a Connecticut winter, and if you don't have ductwork to begin with, a boiler works with what your house already has instead of asking for something new.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats the air directly and pushes it through the house, and with eight months of heating ahead of you and nights averaging 21°F, you want a system that already matches what's in your walls.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor rather than ducts, a boiler is built for that and runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace. Radiant heat holds up well through a Connecticut winter, and if you don't have ductwork to begin with, a boiler works with what your house already has instead of asking for something new.
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 Capitol Planning Region.
In New England, 54.8% 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 New England that heat with one | 54.8% | 26.2% |
| Handles a 21°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, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats the air directly and pushes it through the house, and with eight months of heating ahead of you and nights averaging 21°F, you want a system that already matches what's in your walls.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor rather than ducts, a boiler is built for that and runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace. Radiant heat holds up well through a Connecticut winter, and if you don't have ductwork to begin with, a boiler works with what your house already has instead of asking for something new.
A Capitol Planning Region contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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