One of the biggest factors to consider when replacing a furnace is efficiency. While a highly efficient unit will cost you more upfront, it will also save you money on your energy bills for years to come.
How Efficiency Is Displayed
When you look at different models, you will see that they all have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. This shows the percentage of fuel that’s converted into heat.
High-efficiency condensing gas furnaces feature AFUE values up to 98 percent, which is essentially perfect efficiency. A conventional unit on the other hand will have AFUE values of around 80 percent.
Other Things to Consider
While efficiency is the primary thing you will be looking at, in some cases efficiency doesn’t matter as much as other factors. For example, if you don’t run your furnace very often, because you live in a mild climate (NOT the case in the Twin Cities!), heating efficiency doesn’t matter very much. On the other end of the spectrum, if you constantly use your furnace, any fuel savings will add up in a shorter period of time, and make efficiency more important. That would be the case in our Upper Midwest region.
The second factor to consider is the cost of your local utilities. While fuel and electricity prices vary from time to time and place to place, you should have a general idea of your costs. The higher they are, the more important it is to minimize any waste with a highly efficient furnace.
Finally, consider how well your home retains heat. If you have spent time making sure your home is well-insulated and tightly sealed, you won’t have to run your furnace as often. This will help maximize the benefits of whatever efficiency level your furnace has.
By considering all of these factors, you should get a good feel for what level of efficiency will be best for your home’s furnace. If you need help with this, consult an HVAC professional to get multiple accurate estimates.
If you need help selecting a furnace in your Twin Cities area home, please contact our experts at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning Co.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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