What You Should Know About Furnaces Before You Buy.
Be prepared before purchasing a new furnace
If you're in the market for a new furnace, there's some information you need to know before calling a dealer.
Variable Speed
A furnace with variable-speed technology lets you take control of your comfort and energy bills. This feature ensures a home receives the precise amount of air required to keep a family comfortable. Besides providing exceptional comfort, this technology also saves homeowners money on their energy bills because the efficient variable-speed motors consume less electricity than standard furnace motors. Typical furnaces operating in the continuous fan mode consume 400 watts of energy- while some furnaces with this technology use only 60 to 80 watts.
Variable speed operation can also help control high humidity, reducing the chances of airborne mold growth and other indoor air quality problems. the continuous fan mode works well with indoor air quality products, such as filters, because it operates at a slower speed, allowing them to capture more contaminants.
Two-stage Heating
A furnace with two-stage heating can be tremendous help when looking for that just-right temperature during the cold winter months. Furnaces with two-stage heating can reduce temperature swings in the home. Unlike traditional furnaces, which operate at their full heating capacity, two-stage furnaces are designed to operate like two separate furnaces and maintain more consistent comfort levels throughout a home. Two-stage heating has many comfort advantages. The temperature inside a home should vary only a few degrees versus the larger temperature swings that are common with traditional furnaces. The first stage consists of the furnace running at about 68 percent of its heating capacity. A two-stage furnace with always start in the first stage and attempt to meet hte heating demand. This reduced capacity is enough to warm a home on mild winter days. When temperatures drop, the furnace adjusts itself and enters the second stage to meet the demand for heat within the home.
High Efficiency
If you want to save money on your heating costs, consider purchasing a high efficiency furnace. THey can help reduce your energy costs as well as conserve our natural resources. When selecting a furnace, pay close attention to the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). The AFUE number represents how efficiently a furnace converts fuel to energy. The higher the AFUE percentage, the more energy-efficient or fuel-efficient the furnace. The U.S. government's minimum AFUE rating for a furnace is 78 percent. It's also important to look for Energy Star products. This means the product meets the Environmental Portection Agency's (EPA) standards by using less energy, which reduces pollution. Energy Star products reduce energy use by 20-40 percent.
Quiet
if you want a quiet unit, you should look for a furnace that has the variable speed and/or two-stage features. Other things to look for include insulation in the blower section and enclosed burners. These items help keep sound levels to a minimum.
