Choosing the right furnace for your home can be difficult but is an important decision to make since it is the appliance that will provide you comfort in extremely cold weather. If you are in the market for a new heating system, you need to know what separates a great buy from a bad one.
Calling a reputable heating company like Kettle Moraine Heating and Air Conditioning can help in properly choosing and installing the right furnace for your home.
Below are some things you need to consider when buying a new furnace.
Types of Furnaces
Gas Furnace
In many areas in the U.S., gas furnaces are commonly used with natural gas and propane. Determining which gas to use to fuel the furnace will depend mainly on availability. Other fuels you can use to operate the furnace include liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane, butane, or a mixture of propane and butane.
Fuel Oil Furnace
These furnaces use a special burner that converts oil into mist. Because they require heavier and thicker materials to build, these furnaces usually cost more compared to other types of heating systems. There has been a decline in the popularity of these furnaces in recent years because of the steady increase in oil prices.
Electric Furnace
These are the best type of furnaces when it comes to fuel efficiency since there is no heat loss in the chimney or vent. However, be prepared for high energy bills since the amount of electricity they consume is much higher compared to other fuel sources.
Efficiency Rating
The ability of a furnace to convert gas into heat is measured by its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. It indicates the percentage of the fuel consumed that is actually used for generating heat. This means that the higher the AFUE rating, the greater the savings. Consequently, the higher the efficiency rating, the more expensive the furnace becomes.
The good news is that high-efficiency furnaces can save up to 45 percent of your fuel costs compared to older, inefficient furnaces, which can help you recoup the high investment cost.
Proper Sizing
Properly sizing your furnace will not only ensure lower heating bills, it is also healthy for the furnace itself. That’s because an oversized furnace will produce more heat than what your home actually needs. This often leads to short cycling, which increases the stress on the furnace, making it likely to crash more frequently. Because of the high amount of heat it generates, a furnace that is too large needs more fuel to operate, causing you to have high heating costs.
In contrast, an undersized furnace will need to work harder in an attempt to provide your desired temperature. This overload translates to high utility costs and a potential premature breakdown of certain furnace components.
A qualified professional technician knows how to properly size your furnace. There are calculations that need to be taken into consideration to ensure you’ll get maximum comfort while keeping your furnace energy efficient.
HVAC Zoning
Zoning provides decentralized control and allows a thermostat in each room to set the heating or cooling demands for the zoned area. A properly installed zoning system lowers your utility bills because you are not wasting heated air on unoccupied rooms.
When your home is divided into zones, you no longer need to spend money on heating these sections as you would pay to heat the ones you always occupy such as your bedrooms and kitchen.
Also, zoning gives you a personalized temperature setting for each zoned area, allowing every family member to sleep better and enjoy improved comfort throughout the day.
Warranty
The warranty on your furnace will vary according to the manufacturer, model, and dealer. High-efficiency furnaces usually have longer warranties than their low-efficiency counterparts. With a condensing furnace, it is especially important to have a long-term warranty on the heat exchangers.
Get Your New Furnace from a Premier Dealer
Kettle Moraine Heating and Air Conditioning is a proud Dave Lennox Premier Dealer, a distinction Lennox Industries gives to contractors and dealers that value high-quality workmanship and excellent customer service.
We understand that purchasing a new furnace is not just about buying an appliance that generates heat, but it is an important investment in your family’s comfort and safety.
For this reason, you need to consider having your furnace installation done only by a certified and licensed HVAC company like us.
