Buying a new furnace for your home may seem like a daunting task, but with the right information, you can easily choose a heating system that will serve your needs for many years to come. The following tips can help you identify what's important in a new furnace.
Efficiency: The efficiency of your new furnace will determine how effectively it heats your home and how much it will cost to maintain indoor comfort during the colder months. Higher-efficiency models use less fuel and, as a result, provide heating for a lower cost. Look for a furnace with a high AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating, usually 90 or above.
Size: Proper furnace sizing is essential to buying a system that works well for your home. Sizing, in HVAC terms, refers to the system's capacity to produce heat and keep your indoor living spaces at the temperature you prefer. Have your HVAC professional perform a load calculation on your home. This is a detailed evaluation process that determines exactly how much heating is needed. When you have this information, you can easily find a furnace of the correct size.
Fuel type: Most often, you'll probably want to buy a new furnace that uses the same type of fuel as your old one. If you have a gas furnace, for example, you'll already have the utility connections in place for a new gas model. However, there are circumstances where you might want to change fuel types or switch to an electric furnace. Ask your HVAC expert for advice.
Efficiency-boosting features: Additional components can be added to your furnace to boost performance and efficiency even higher. Variable-speed blowers, for example, provide a lower speed for use when less heating is required. This lower speed uses less energy and costs less to operate. Dual heat exchangers improve heat transfer functions.
Air Assurance offers expert heating and cooling services to customers in Tulsa and neighboring areas. Contact us today for more information on how to choose a new furnace and for expert help with selecting, installing and maintaining your heating system.
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). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Dirk Ercken/Shutterstock”