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High-Efficiency Furnace Shopping Tips for Homeowners
Shopping for a new furnace this winter season? Today’s furnaces are more complicated than furnaces of the past. To help you navigate the confusion, here are some buying tips for high-efficiency furnaces from the G-Force team:
Understand Energy-Efficiency Ratings
- Energy-efficiency measurements communicate how efficiently fuel is burned and how much energy, such as electricity, is required to operate blowers that circulate heat. The rating is found on the bright yellow label.
- Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) indicates the measurement for fuel efficiency. The highest efficiency rating is 98.5%, which means 98.5% of fuel is converted into heat. Most older furnaces are around 80% efficient.
Get Familiar With The Features
- Variable-Speed Blowers – These blowers allow for slower air delivery, less noise, fewer drafts and reduction of uncomfortable temperature fluctuations during times when less heat is needed, such as sleeping or away hours.
- Variable Heat Output – This feature increases efficiency and comfort with automation of heat variance between two levels, allowing for continuous heat delivery.
- Air Filtration – Electrostatic filtration with HEPA filters reduces dust in the heating system, creating a cleaner and healthier home.
- Dual Heat Exchanger – This feature allows the furnace to draw heat from the burned gas. The dual feature creates greater efficiency by eliminating corrosive by-products in exhaust gases.
- Ignition System – A direct spark or hot surface ignition eliminates pilot lights. Pilot lights reduce energy efficiency because they rely on a continuously burning flame.
- Zone Heating – Multiple sophisticated thermostats tied into one controller use dampers to manage airflow in different parts of a home, which creates greater energy efficiency.
Better Efficiency Means Faster ROI
The many advantages, such as savings, improved comfort, healthier living, and convenience, make high-efficiency furnaces an attractive replacement for older furnaces. Plus, with the increased efficiency, energy bills are lower, which shortens the time you will have to wait to see a return on your investment.