Few questions in home comfort create as much anxiety as this one: do electric furnaces produce carbon monoxide? Closely followed by its equally urgent twin, do electric furnaces have carbon monoxide? These are not academic questions. They’re safety questions, family questions, and peace-of-mind questions. And when winter hits and heaters start running around the clock, they matter even more.
I’m Savvy Mavi, and today we’re going to answer this clearly, completely, and without fear-based fluff—using the Goodman MBVK electric furnace as our practical reference point. This is not marketing copy, and it’s not a surface-level FAQ. This is a full explanation of how electric furnaces work, why carbon monoxide is such a concern in heating systems, where confusion comes from, and what homeowners actually need to know to stay safe.
If you’ve ever asked whether your electric furnace could be leaking something dangerous into your home, this article is for you.
Why Carbon Monoxide Causes So Much Confusion
Carbon monoxide (CO) is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and potentially deadly. Because you can’t sense it directly, the fear around it is understandable. Many homeowners know CO is associated with furnaces, but they don’t always know which furnaces or why.
This leads to search questions like:
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Do electric furnaces produce carbon monoxide?
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Do electric furnaces have carbon monoxide?
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“Should I worry about CO with an electric heater?”
To answer these properly, we need to separate fuel-based heating from electric resistance heating—and that’s where the Goodman MBVK electric furnace becomes an excellent example.
Short Answer First: Do Electric Furnaces Produce Carbon Monoxide?
No. Electric furnaces do not produce carbon monoxide.
That answer is not conditional. It is not “usually.” It is not “if everything is working correctly.” Electric furnaces, including the Goodman MBVK, cannot produce carbon monoxide by design.
Now let’s talk about why that is true—and why people still worry.
What Carbon Monoxide Actually Is
Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of incomplete combustion. Combustion means burning fuel. CO is produced when fuels such as:
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Natural gas
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Propane
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Oil
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Wood
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Coal
are burned without enough oxygen.
No fuel combustion, no carbon monoxide.
This principle is confirmed consistently by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which explains how carbon monoxide forms and why fuel-burning appliances are the primary risk source.
How the Goodman MBVK Electric Furnace Works
The Goodman MBVK is an electric furnace / air handler, not a combustion appliance. It produces heat using electric resistance heating elements, similar in concept to the heating coils in a toaster or electric oven.
Here is what it does not have:
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No burners
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No flame
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No fuel supply
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No exhaust flue
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No combustion chamber
Because there is no burning process, there is no mechanism by which carbon monoxide could be created. This directly answers both key questions:
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Do electric furnaces produce carbon monoxide? No.
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Do electric furnaces have carbon monoxide? No.
Not internally. Not externally. Not accidentally.
Why People Still Worry About Carbon Monoxide with Electric Furnaces
Despite the clear physics, homeowners still worry—and that concern doesn’t come out of nowhere.
Here are the most common reasons.
1. Confusion Between Electric Furnaces and Gas Furnaces
Many homes look similar mechanically regardless of furnace type. The cabinet, ductwork, thermostat, and vents all look familiar. Homeowners often assume “furnace” automatically means “fuel-burning.”
Gas furnaces absolutely can produce carbon monoxide if something goes wrong. Cracked heat exchangers, blocked flues, or improper combustion are real hazards.
Electric furnaces, like the MBVK, do not have a heat exchanger at all, because there is no combustion to isolate.
The U.S. Department of Energy makes this distinction clear in its explanations of residential heating systems, noting that electric furnaces rely on resistance heat rather than fuel combustion.
2. Carbon Monoxide Detectors Going Off in Electric Homes
This is one of the most confusing and frightening scenarios for homeowners. A CO detector alarms, but the home has an electric furnace.
When this happens, the source is almost always something else, such as:
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A gas water heater
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A gas stove or oven
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A fireplace
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A generator in the garage
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A vehicle running nearby
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A neighbor’s exhaust entering the home
The electric furnace is often blamed because it’s the most obvious mechanical system running at the time—but correlation is not causation.
3. Heat Pumps and Electric Furnaces Used Together
The Goodman MBVK is frequently paired with a heat pump. Heat pumps are also electric and do not produce carbon monoxide.
However, many homeowners previously had gas furnaces, and the mental association lingers. Even after conversion to electric, the fear remains.
This is understandable—but technically unfounded.
Do Electric Furnaces Have Any Combustion Byproducts at All?
No. Electric furnaces do not produce:
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Carbon monoxide
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Carbon dioxide
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Nitrogen oxides
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Soot
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Smoke
There is no combustion process, so there are no combustion byproducts.
This is one of the major safety advantages of electric heating systems and is often highlighted by safety-focused organizations like Underwriters Laboratories, which certifies electric heating equipment based on electrical and thermal safety rather than combustion control.
The Goodman MBVK and Indoor Air Safety
From an indoor air quality perspective, the MBVK is about as clean as heating systems get.
Safety characteristics include:
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No combustion gases
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No flame rollout risk
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No backdrafting
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No vent blockage concerns
This does not mean the system requires no maintenance—but it does mean carbon monoxide is not on the list of risks.
So Why Are Carbon Monoxide Detectors Still Recommended?
Here’s where nuance matters.
Even if you have an electric furnace, carbon monoxide detectors are still recommended in most homes.
Why?
Because furnaces are rarely the only appliances in a home.
CO detectors protect against:
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Gas water heaters
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Gas ranges
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Attached garages
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Fireplaces
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Portable heaters
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External sources
The presence of an electric furnace does not eliminate all CO risks—it simply removes the furnace itself from the list of possible sources.
Electric Furnaces vs. Gas Furnaces: A Safety Comparison
From a carbon monoxide standpoint, the difference is absolute.
Gas furnace:
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Burns fuel
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Produces combustion gases
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Requires venting
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Can produce CO if malfunctioning
Electric furnace (Goodman MBVK):
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Uses electric resistance heat
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No combustion
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No venting
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Cannot produce CO
This distinction is one reason electric furnaces are often recommended for:
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Airtight homes
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Multifamily housing
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Indoor air quality–sensitive environments
Energy efficiency programs like Energy Star often emphasize that while electric furnaces may have higher operating costs in some regions, they eliminate combustion-related indoor air risks entirely.
What Electric Furnaces Can Do Wrong (And What They Can’t)
Let’s be clear: electric furnaces are not immune to problems. But carbon monoxide is not one of them.
Electric furnace issues may include:
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Electrical component failure
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Overheating due to airflow restriction
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Tripped safety limits
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Blower motor problems
Electric furnaces cannot:
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Leak carbon monoxide
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Backdraft exhaust
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Crack heat exchangers
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Create combustion gas buildup
Understanding this distinction prevents unnecessary fear and misdiagnosis.
Why the Goodman MBVK Is Often Chosen for Safety-Conscious Homes
Homeowners who prioritize safety often gravitate toward electric systems for a reason.
The MBVK offers:
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Fully electric operation
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Compatibility with heat pumps
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Variable-speed airflow control
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Reduced mechanical complexity
In environments where combustion appliances are restricted or discouraged, systems like the MBVK are often the preferred solution.
Addressing a Common Myth: “Electric Furnaces Still Create CO Indirectly”
This myth pops up occasionally and needs to be addressed directly.
Electric furnaces do not create carbon monoxide indirectly. They do not heat air in a way that produces chemical reactions. They do not rely on secondary processes that could generate CO.
If carbon monoxide is present in a home with an electric furnace, it came from something else.
Practical Safety Advice from Savvy Mavi
Here’s my grounded, no-drama guidance:
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If you have an electric furnace like the Goodman MBVK, do not worry about it producing carbon monoxide.
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Install carbon monoxide detectors anyway, especially if you have any fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage.
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If a CO alarm goes off, do not assume the furnace is the source—investigate everything.
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Avoid unnecessary service calls driven by fear rather than facts.
Knowledge is the best safety device you can install.
Final Answer, One Last Time
Let’s close the loop clearly and confidently.
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Do electric furnaces produce carbon monoxide? No.
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Do electric furnaces have carbon monoxide? No.
The Goodman MBVK electric furnace cannot produce carbon monoxide under any operating condition, because it does not burn fuel. That is not a marketing claim—it is basic physics.
If safety and indoor air quality matter to you, understanding this distinction removes fear and replaces it with clarity. And clarity, especially when it comes to home safety, is always worth the time.
That’s the Savvy Mavi way: informed, calm, and grounded in how things actually work.
