Furnace vs Boiler in Missoula County, Montana
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. Most homes in this region were built with ducts already in place, so a furnace uses what your house already has instead of asking you to add a whole new heating system. With winter nights averaging 17°F and heat needed most of the year here, you want equipment that matches what your home is set up for.
When a boiler makes sense
A boiler makes sense if your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts. It runs on natural gas like a furnace, and it costs about 5% less to run at Montana prices, so if your house already has that kind of distribution, keeping it is often the simpler and cheaper path than switching to ducted heat.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. Most homes in this region were built with ducts already in place, so a furnace uses what your house already has instead of asking you to add a whole new heating system. With winter nights averaging 17°F and heat needed most of the year here, you want equipment that matches what your home is set up for.
When a boiler makes sense
A boiler makes sense if your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts. It runs on natural gas like a furnace, and it costs about 5% less to run at Montana prices, so if your house already has that kind of distribution, keeping it is often the simpler and cheaper path than switching to ducted heat.
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 Missoula County.
In the Mountain West, 69.6% 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 Mountain West that heat with one | 69.6% | 4.3% |
| Handles a 17°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 is the straightforward choice. Most homes in this region were built with ducts already in place, so a furnace uses what your house already has instead of asking you to add a whole new heating system. With winter nights averaging 17°F and heat needed most of the year here, you want equipment that matches what your home is set up for.
When a boiler makes sense
A boiler makes sense if your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes rather than ducts. It runs on natural gas like a furnace, and it costs about 5% less to run at Montana prices, so if your house already has that kind of distribution, keeping it is often the simpler and cheaper path than switching to ducted heat.
A Missoula County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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