Gas FurnaceWhere natural gas is available, a gas furnace is nearly always cheaper to run than an electric one. Bear in mind, however, that gas furnaces utilize a flame to burn fuel and generate toxin fumes. In a well-maintained unit, the fumes are contained inside the heat exchanger and exit your home or place of business through a vent. If you own or purchase a gas furnace, it is extremely important to have the unit examined once a year by a licensed technician. The technician will inspect the unit for cracks, holes, and leaks which can release carbon monoxide into your home or place of business. A-All Comfort performs an annual heating check-up for residences and businesses. Electric FurnaceElectric furnaces are generally more expensive to run than gas furnaces. However, because they do not employ a flame and do not produce carbon monoxide, they are a cleaner and safer source of heat than are gas furnaces. |
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A third option for heating your home or place of business is the purchase of a heat pump.
When you buy a new car, its quality determines how well it will perform and for how long. The same is true of a new furnace. Selecting a brand name that has a reputation for quality and reliability can save you headaches and extra expenses down the road. Consult your contractor for the brand(s) which would best suit your needs.
If you have a residence or place of business and need to replace your existing heating system, a A-All Comfort technician will be glad to examine your home or business facility, advise you on which of the available brands of furnaces (based on their respective features, efficiency, reliability, and warranties) would best meet your needs, and provide you with a free estimate for purchase and installation of a new furnace.
Gas furnaces are classified by AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) ratings which identify how efficiently they use fuel. Generally, the higher the AFUE rating, the less fuel a furnace will require to heat your home or place of business. Units with higher efficiency ratings are usually more expensive to purchase than those with lower ratings. However, units with higher AFUE ratings cost less to run and can actually save you money in the long run.
In 1992, the government established a minimum AFUE rating of 78% for furnaces installed in new homes. In contrast, many furnaces manufactured prior to 1992 had efficiency ratings as low as 60%.
Mid-efficiency furnaces (also called non-condensing furnaces or induced draft furnaces) offer efficiencies from 78% to 80%.
| High-efficiency furnaces (also called condensing furnaces or sealed combustion furnaces) offer AFUE ratings from 80% to 96%. |
Some furnaces offer additional features that provide greater comfort as well as improved efficiency.
Two-speed furnaces can run on low speed up to 90% of the time, so they operate more quietly and run for longer periods of time than single-speed furnaces. Longer operating periods translate into fewer on/off cycles, fewer drafts (from the blower kicking on less often) and much smaller temperature swings (only one or two degrees instead of the four-degree swings common with single-speed furnaces). They also provide better air circulation which helps to prevent air stratification (warm air rising to the ceiling and cold air settling on the floor). In short, with a two-speed furnace, you get consistent, even heat throughout your home.
Variable-capacity furnaces provide the ultimate combination of comfort and efficiency. In addition to the benefits of two-speed furnaces, they offer "smart" motors that can monitor your home's comfort needs and automatically adjust the volume and speed of air to provide the most efficient heating or cooling.
The fan which comes with your variable-capacity furnace can also save you money during the summer. If you use the fan operation continuously through the summer months, it will increase the efficiency of your central air conditioning system .
Furnaces don't have a standard sound rating system such as the bel rating system used for air conditioners and heat pumps.
However, two-speed and variable-speed furnaces typically operate at a lower sound level then do standard models. As stated above, these furnaces run for longer periods and at lower speeds than traditional furnaces. Consequently, they produce less noise as the blower motor kicks on less often.
Certain variable-capacity models also provide a "ramp on" feature which gradually introduces warm air into your ducts. This helps to prevent the "creaking" noises produced by ducts expanding and contracting.