Electric furnaces come in a variety of configurations and are similar to the more common gas and oil-fired forced-air furnaces. Most electric furnaces are multi-flow units, meaning that the same unit can be positioned in a variety of ways: upflow, downflow, or horizontal.

Compared to electric baseboard heating systems, forced-air electric furnaces provide the advantage of a centralized air handling system with air filtration, humidification, and control of air distribution.

The additional installed cost of a central electric furnace system over a zonal heating system is justified:

• When you will be Filtering the Air, or
• When you'll be Installing a Central Cooling System.