Key Points
- Mobile home furnaces must be approved for installation in manufactured housing.
- Consider location, size, complexity of installation, fuel type, and materials needed when looking for a mobile home furnace.
- Mobile home furnace fuel options include gas, oil, and electric.
- Hardware, installation, and materials will influence the overall cost of buying a new mobile home furnace.
Choosing the right mobile home furnace can be challenging. As we’ve discussed before, mobile homes are built differently than traditional on-site housing, which creates a different set of requirements for the HVAC you put in them. Mobile home furnaces must be suitable for installation in a uniquely confined space and must be safe to operate, as they function differently from conventional furnaces. If you’re still wondering how to choose the best mobile home furnace, keep reading. The experts at IWAE are here to answer all your questions.
Regular Furnace vs Mobile Home Furnace
Mobile home furnace systems are specifically designed to meet the unique structural challenges of a mobile or manufactured home. Typically, they use a unique venting system called "sealed combustion," which is much safer for mobile home applications than a regular furnace. Space is at a premium in a manufactured home, so heating ducts are smaller. This means that the heat output from a regular furnace can be too much to handle. For this reason, putting a conventional gas or propane furnace in a mobile home is a major fire hazard. Always look for the label or metal plate that details the furnace's suitability for use in a mobile home. If it doesn't have the label, look elsewhere for a mobile home furnace.
Types of Mobile Home Furnace Systems
There are three main furnace types for manufactured homes, and each has an efficiency factor to consider. The efficiency of your furnace impacts your heating costs. So, if you have a mobile home furnace at 80% efficiency, every dollar you spend puts only $0.80 into heat. The remainder is wasted.
- Gas Mobile Home Furnace - If you want a reliable and quiet mobile home furnace for your home, consider a natural or propane gas installation. Typically, they operate using a pilot light, which ignites the burners in the combustion chamber. From here, blowers push the warm air through the heat ducts and into your home. Gas furnaces range in efficiency from around 80% for a cheaper model to 96% for a more expensive furnace.
- Oil Mobile Home Furnace - On the whole, an oil mobile home furnace is more expensive than gas varieties and is about 80% efficient. They operate by spraying a fine mist of oil into the combustion chamber to be ignited. The heat generated from this process is then fed into the mobile home, typically through floor vents. Oil furnaces can be cheaper to run and more robust. However, they can also be expensive to fix when something goes wrong. Plus, fuel oil may not be easily available in all areas.
- Electric Mobile Home Furnace - Electric furnaces are cheap and can go anywhere that has electricity. Cold air is drawn from the outside and passed through a heat exchanger. It is then heated and pushed into the home through vents. These mobile home furnace units are quiet and a lot cleaner than gas or oil varieties, but they are usually expensive to run. If you live in a colder environment, an electric furnace might not be the most cost-effective choice.
Considerations when Pricing a Mobile Home Furnace Install
If you are replacing an older model mobile home furnace, you should seek advice from a qualified HVAC professional. Depending on the age and model of your old furnace, ducting and vents may not be compatible with newer models. On the other hand, if your existing ducts and vents are compatible, it will speed up the installation and reduce the costs. Some factors will affect the price of your furnace install:
- Location
- Size
- Complexity of installation
- Insulation and materials needed
Each one of these elements can reduce or increase the overall costs. Also, when choosing a mobile home furnace, consider the climate you live in because some furnaces will be cheaper to run day to day than others. As we mentioned earlier, the upfront economic costs of an electric furnace may seem tempting, but the running costs can be considerably more than gas or oil furnaces, especially if you live in a harsh northern climate. The United States is divided into eight zones, depending on temperature, moisture levels, and proximity to the sea. Zones 1 - 3 are the most southerly or have the mildest climates. An electric mobile home furnace can be the standout choice for you if you live in one of these zones. If you are installing a furnace for the first time, this adds to the complexity of the project and may take longer to complete. The installer will need to size up and cut the necessary holes for the vents and ducting. They also need to ensure that the right materials and insulation are used.
How Much Does a Mobile Home Furnace Cost?
Mobile home furnace prices can vary depending on a variety of factors. The three most important costs to consider when buying a new furnace for your manufactured or mobile home are:
- The Cost of the Furnace - Depending on the type and quality of the mobile home furnace you choose, you should expect to pay between $1000 - $1,700. That's not to say that you can't get even more expensive models. The good news is that this is considerably cheaper than a regular furnace for a traditionally built home.
- The Cost of the Installation - Once you've decided on a furnace, it needs to be installed. Depending on the type, quality, and your location, the costs could range from $800 - $1,100+. The average time it takes HVAC specialists to install a furnace is 8 hours. The good news is that this is considerably cheaper than the cost of installation for a traditionally built home.
- The Cost of the Materials - Mobile and manufactured homes require special equipment for the safe and efficient installation of your mobile home furnace. As we've already mentioned, mobile homes have smaller heating ducts and vents, which reduces the costs when compared to a traditional house.
Install a Trusted Brand
Look at the reviews and what other customers are saying about the brand of mobile home furnace you want. There are many brands of manufactured and mobile home furnaces, and they have spent years building a loyal customer base. Also, seek the advice of HVAC specialists. They will point you in the direction of their most trusted brands. One company that immediately jumps out as a frontrunner for a quality mobile home furnace is Revolv. As part of Coleman's home division, Revolv is one of the most trusted names in gas and electric furnaces for mobile and manufactured homes. Their models range in value from around $900 to around $3000 for their highest quality units. There are pros and cons with each type of furnace, but you will see that with gas furnaces, the higher the price, the greater the efficiency. This is not the case with the electric varieties, as they are considered to be 100% efficient and are considerably cheaper to purchase. Also, IWAE offers fantastic warranties on the Revolv gas furnaces, including two years for parts and ten years for the heat exchanger.
Purchase a Mobile Home Furnace From IWAE
If one thing leaps out in this article, it is that you get what you pay for. When you are investing in an entry-level mobile home furnace, expect the BTUs and the efficiency to be lower than those of the top-of-the-range models. If the day-to-day running cost isn't a concern, then the budget end is a great place to start. You may live in a warmer climate and have less need for a powerful gas mobile home furnace. Instead, you should opt for an electric variety. You will get 100% efficiency, they are clean and quiet, and they are more compact. Whichever mobile home furnace you choose, make sure it's the best for your home. If you ever have any questions about mobile home furnaces, feel free to give us a call or leave a comment below.
