It's winter in Oklahoma, which means heating season. It's important to make sure your furnace is in proper shape and can keep you comfortable without driving up your energy bill. How do you do that? First you need to know the lingo. Here are a few important terms to help you navigate heating season.
AFUE
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. The amount of fuel your furnace gives off as heat, vs. the amount given off as exhaust, by percentage. The higher the number, the more efficient your furnace.
CAE
Combined Annual Efficiency. The total efficiency of your furnace combined with that of your water heater, for those who have devices that integrate the two.
Load Calculation
A formula to determine what size furnace you need to heat your home properly — i.e. how much heat it needs to produce — based on your home's square footage, number of rooms, and a variety of other factors. If the furnace is too small, it will be overworked trying to heat your home. If it's too big, it will cycle on and off too frequently. Both situations waste energy and cause your heating system to wear out more quickly.
Heat Pump
An energy-saving alternative to a traditional furnace, it reverses the flow of heat, taking warm air from outside and circulating it through your home. Then in the summer, it acts as an air conditioner to keep your home cool. It's a good option for climates with milder winters.
Dual Fuel
A heating system that can alternate back and forth between electric power and natural gas, to improve efficiency while still maintaining comfort.
Energy Star
The federal program that identifies and labels household appliances that save energy. If you see the blue Energy Star logo on your furnace or heat pump, that means it's been proven to save both money and energy over similar models, without sacrificing performance or features. It's a great place to start when comparing heating systems.
To learn more about the terms you need to know this heating season, contact us at Air Assurance. We've served the Broken Arrow area since 1985.
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). For more information about HVAC terms and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “stockcreations/Shutterstock”