Furnace vs Boiler in Richland County, North Dakota
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace uses it directly, and most homes in this region do. Those same ducts can carry air conditioning in summer, which a boiler has no way to do. With 9 months of heating a year here, that ductwork is doing a lot of work either way.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts, a boiler is built for that, and installing ductwork just to run a furnace would be its own project. Running a boiler here costs about 5% less than a furnace, which adds up over 9 months of heating. Keep in mind it only heats, so it won't help you stay cool in summer.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace uses it directly, and most homes in this region do. Those same ducts can carry air conditioning in summer, which a boiler has no way to do. With 9 months of heating a year here, that ductwork is doing a lot of work either way.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts, a boiler is built for that, and installing ductwork just to run a furnace would be its own project. Running a boiler here costs about 5% less than a furnace, which adds up over 9 months of heating. Keep in mind it only heats, so it won't help you stay cool in summer.
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 Richland 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 runs on 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 5°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 ductwork, a furnace uses it directly, and most homes in this region do. Those same ducts can carry air conditioning in summer, which a boiler has no way to do. With 9 months of heating a year here, that ductwork is doing a lot of work either way.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts, a boiler is built for that, and installing ductwork just to run a furnace would be its own project. Running a boiler here costs about 5% less than a furnace, which adds up over 9 months of heating. Keep in mind it only heats, so it won't help you stay cool in summer.
A Richland County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.