Homeowners who want control over their heating and cooling needs should strongly consider investing in a furnace with a variable-speed blower motor. Unlike older furnace models with a single-speed blower motor, variable-speed motors allow for more energy-efficient heating and greater flexibility as far as add-ons to your HVAC system. They also help your furnace last longer and allow your HVAC system to run quieter so you won’t be annoyed by the racket of your furnace kicking off and on all the time.
In traditional furnaces, the blower has one speed, full-go. It kicks on and off as needed. This causes more noise, and puts greater stress on furnace parts and components than if the furnace could operate at slower speeds while still doing its job. The single-speed set-up also makes it difficult to use certain HVAC add-ons that require continuous air flow.
With a variable-speed blower, on the other hand, the speed of the motor adjusts to heating needs of your home, as communicated by the thermostat. For example, a system with a variable-speed blower can be set so that the furnace kicks on at around 2/3 of its full power. The furnace will then run at the lower level for a set period of time, and the full power of the motor will kick in only if the furnace isn’t satisfying the temperature demands of the thermostat. Called a “soft start,” this is just one example of the increased flexibility that comes with a variable speed blower.
Another major benefit is that variable speed blowers can be set to run at a low level all the time or continuously. When you have an HVAC add-on such as an air filter or a whole-house humidifier that depends on your furnace’s blower being on and circulating the air, this is a major boon and an important feature.
To learn more about how a variable-speed blower can help you heat and cool your Dayton area home, contact Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about variable speed blowers 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!
