According to the U.S. Government's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 70 percent of American homes are heated by furnaces. Of those, the majority are the single-stage variety – which are likely what you think of when you hear the word "furnace". The operation of a single-stage furnace is simple: it's sized so that it can heat your entire home to a comfortable temperature in the coldest outdoor conditions your geographic region experiences. When it's not that cold out, and your furnace is in operation, it switches on or off, generating heat until your comfortable temperature is reached or exceeded, and then switches off until the home cools enough for it to turn on again.
While there's a certain elegance to this performance, it also has drawbacks. The fluctuating level of sound from a furnace turning on and off continually is distracting to some, as is the accompanying temperature fluctuation. A system designed for extreme conditions often uses more energy than one designed for nominal conditions. And any mechanical system that switches on and off frequently experiences more wear than one that doesn't.
These are the problems that a two-stage furnace solves:
A two-stage furnace can operate at two capacities: high and low. The high capacity is your traditional furnace, able to handle the coldest temperatures nature will throw at you. But the lower stage is meant for the cool but not frigid weather – it's sized to keep you warm in the cooler parts of spring and fall, not the nadir of winter.
This means that with a two-stage furnace, each season has a heating system sized to warm you continually and minimize disruption, and that you're not paying for the heavy lifting in seasons where a lighter touch will do. Offering energy savings as well as increased home comfort, these systems are attractive options for homes in climates with a range of cooler temperatures.
If you want more, currently, there are "modulating" furnaces. These take out the high/low, and actually modulate at any BTU rating within the spectrum. Talk about serious comfort and efficiency!
To learn more, or to schedule a contractor visit today, contact Air Assurance Heating, Cooling & Air Quality. We're always here to help our clients in the Broken Arrow area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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