Furnace vs Boiler in Hennepin County, Minnesota
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. That same ductwork can carry air conditioning too, which matters once summer comes around. Across this region, most homes are already set up this way, so a furnace goes in without adding any new way to move the heat.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor rather than air ducts, a boiler is the machine built for that. It runs about 5% cheaper to operate here than a furnace, which adds up over eight months of heat and nights that average 10°F. It won't help you with cooling, so you would still need a separate way to handle summer.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. That same ductwork can carry air conditioning too, which matters once summer comes around. Across this region, most homes are already set up this way, so a furnace goes in without adding any new way to move the heat.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor rather than air ducts, a boiler is the machine built for that. It runs about 5% cheaper to operate here than a furnace, which adds up over eight months of heat and nights that average 10°F. It won't help you with cooling, so you would still need a separate way to handle 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 Hennepin 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 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 Plains states that heat with one | 77.6% | 6.5% |
| Handles a 10°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. That same ductwork can carry air conditioning too, which matters once summer comes around. Across this region, most homes are already set up this way, so a furnace goes in without adding any new way to move the heat.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or pipes in the floor rather than air ducts, a boiler is the machine built for that. It runs about 5% cheaper to operate here than a furnace, which adds up over eight months of heat and nights that average 10°F. It won't help you with cooling, so you would still need a separate way to handle summer.
A Hennepin County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.