When it’s time to replace your furnace, there are many things you should consider before making a decision on a particular replacement furnace. With your home and your family’s needs in mind, Stanford Heating & Cooling can help you choose the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfy.
Fuel Source
One of the first factors you need to consider is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America utilize natural gas, but some residences are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s vital to know which type of fuel is needed 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 are offered 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 works at about 65 percent of its capacity, and stage two will kick in for a heating boost on the coldest Bloomfield days. Though if you want to go for the best choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be an ideal solution.
Different from single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a set number of stages to go through to provide heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually run at different capacities to answer your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to factor in a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another thing to think about. You could save money by more efficiently using your furnace to heat the areas you typically use, rather than trying to keep the entire home at the same temperature. If you want more information about zoning options for your home, Stanford Heating & Cooling can help.
Size
Another key part of picking the best furnace for your home is ensuring it’s the right size for your house. If your furnace is too large for your home’s heating needs, it will waste a lot of energy continuously cycling on and off. If your furnace is too small, it won’t be able to keep up on the coldest Bloomfield days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to review your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is determined by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating signifies 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 escapes through places like the furnace venting. A high-efficiency furnace will have an AFUE rating of 90 to 98.7 percent.
As you can see, it helps to do some research when shopping for a replacement furnace. But, we can help. Stanford Heating & Cooling is here to answer all of your questions and help you select a furnace that fits your home and heating needs. Contact our experts at 812-825-8695 or arrange an appointment with us online.