When it’s time to look for a new furnace, there are several things you should assess before making a decision on a particular replacement furnace. With your house and your family’s needs in mind, Pliescott HVAC Services LLC can help you choose the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfy.
Fuel Source
One of the first things you need to consider is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America run on natural gas, but some homes are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s critical to know which type of fuel is necessary for your new furnace.
Furnace Type
You’ll also want to consider which type of furnace you’d prefer to effectively meet your needs. Furnaces come in single-stage, two-stage or variable capacity models. A single-stage furnace blows heat continually at one speed and isn’t the strongest in efficiency among these options. A two-stage furnace works great for many homes. Stage one of a two-stage furnace operates at about 65 percent of its capacity, and stage two will kick in for a heating blast on the chilly Cambridge days. However, if you want to go for the greatest choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be right for you.
Different from single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a certain number of stages to go through to provide heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually operate at different capacities to answer your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to factor in a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another consideration. You could save money by more efficiently using your furnace to heat the areas you normally use, rather than trying to keep the entire home at the same temperature. If you want more to know more about zoning solutions for your home, Pliescott HVAC Services LLC can help.
Size
Another key part of selecting the best furnace for your home is ensuring it’s the correct size for your home. If your furnace is too large for your home’s heating needs, it will waste a lot of energy constantly cycling on and off. If your furnace is too small, it won’t be able to keep up on the coldest Cambridge days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to review your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is measured by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating represents the ratio of annual heat output of the furnace compared to the total annual fossil fuel energy it consumes. For example, an 80 percent AFUE rating means that 80 percent of energy in the fuel heats the home and the other 20 percent gets out through places like the furnace venting. For a high-efficiency furnace, you’ll want to look for an AFUE rating of 90 to 98.7 percent.
As you can see, many factors come into play when searching for a replacement furnace. But, you don’t have to tackle this by yourself. Pliescott HVAC Services LLC is here to answer all of your questions and help you choose a furnace that matches your home and heating needs. Just give us a call at 410-228-4822 or schedule an appointment with us online.