When it’s time to look for a new furnace, there are many things you should consider before making a conclusion on a particular replacement furnace. With your house and your family’s needs in mind, Age Heating & Cooling can help you select the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfy.
Fuel Source
One of the first factors you need to think about is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America use 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 necessary for your new furnace.
Furnace Type
You’ll also want to consider which type of furnace you’d prefer to successfully meet your needs. Furnaces are available in single-stage, two-stage or variable capacity models. A single-stage furnace blows heat constantly at one speed and isn’t the strongest in efficiency amid 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 Sandpoint days. But if you want to go for the best 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 deliver heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually operate at different capacities to answer your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to include a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another feature to discuss. You could save costs 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 information about zoning solutions for your home, Age Heating & Cooling can help.
Size
Another important part of choosing the best furnace for your home is confirming it’s the right size for your space. 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 Sandpoint days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to check your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is determined by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating identifies 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. A high-efficiency furnace will have an AFUE rating of 90 to 98.7 percent.
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when shopping for a replacement furnace. But, you don’t have to tackle this by yourself. Age Heating & Cooling is here to answer all of your questions and help you select a furnace that suits your home and heating needs. Just give us a call at 208-578-4258 or arrange an appointment with us online.