Nothing lasts forever, and if your heating bills continue to climb, even factoring in the changing cost of fuel and electricity, you may need to replace your heating equipment with a newer, more efficient furnace. High efficiency furnaces currently on the market can use as much as 97 percent of their fuel’s heat to warm the home, compared to older models that used as little as 50 percent.
If your furnace is old, odds are it’s also too large for your home. In the past, HVAC companies installed furnaces that were oversized, thinking that it would be a more efficient way to heat a home. In addition, homes today are better sealed than in the past, so it takes less furnace to heat them. Today’s technology provides more complete heat delivery, so smaller furnaces are just as effective, if not more, than older models.
Furnaces carry ratings called AFUE, which stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. Units with higher AFUE ratings have greater efficiency, and while the upfront cost may be higher, considering the length of the heating season in the Dayton area, homeowners eventually will recoup the extra investment with lower fuel consumption.
Besides having engineering features that save energy, high efficiency furnaces make use of pilotless ignition, which lowers the volume of fuel that you use over time, since there’s no pilot burning constantly. Modern sealed combustion furnaces draw outside air directly into the burner and send the combustion byproducts outdoors directly, reducing the possibility of carbon monoxide entering your home from back drafts.
Choosing high efficiency furnaces can be simplified with the services of an HVAC expert. He will evaluate your home, point out steps to take to improve its energy efficiency, and then recommend the furnace size and efficiency you need to heat your home.
If the high cost of running your current furnace is interfering with the comfort in your home, contact Ace Hardware Home Services. We provide heating and cooling services in the Dayton area and can show you how to increase your comfort level this winter by replacing your old equipment with a high-efficiency furnace.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heating bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Ace Hardware Home Services services the Ohio’s Miami Valley. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
