Furnace Energy Efficiency

When you’re looking for a new furnace, you want one that is going to give you long-term value for money. The best systems currently on the market use a lot less fuel than older systems, which means cheaper heating for you!

The Efficiency of AFUE

All types of furnaces are classified by their annualized fuel-utilization efficiency (known as AFUE). AFUE ratings are shown in percentages and the higher the percentage, the more efficient the machine. Older gas furnaces will generally have lower AFUE ratings and furnaces with a standing pilot that were produced prior to 1992 are known to waste over a third of the fuel used.  Furnaces produced after 1991 will typically have a higher AFUE rating of 80%. Therefore, the simplest way to ensure you have a more efficient gas furnace is to upgrade to a modern system with a higher AFUE rating.  The most efficient type of system is the condensing furnace which have an AFUE rating of 90% and potentially even higher.

There are many benefits of upgrading to a modern gas furnace:

• a more efficient furnace
• Reduces your heating bill by approximately 25%
• Decreases wastage of fuel to a maximum of 10%
• Lower fuel costs
• Over time the furnace will pay for itself with the savings made on fuel expenditure.  When you live in a colder climate you use your furnace more often so decreasing the time required.
• Uses a blower fan that requires far less energy that the older models.

Upgrading to a more efficient gas furnace will save you money on your energy costs and with the inevitable gas price increases, your fuel savings increase as well. This can significantly offset the cost of upgrading the system.

Achieving 97% AFUE

To fully achieve the high efficiency ratings of the best available systems it takes more than choosing the right model.  Your system needs to be correctly sized to your homes requirements and installed in the correct location with perfectly designed ducts.  Your Mr. Mike’s Furnace installer has the experience and expertise to ensure you have the perfect installation of your new system to achieve its highest potential and help you get the most our of your new furnace.

Advantages of choosing a modern, more efficient system include:

• The modern high-efficiency furnaces obtain the combustion air from outside
  the home, whereas the older low-efficiency furnaces obtain their combustion
  air from the room within it is placed, which means after the furnace has
  drawn the air, new cold air comes in from various cracks, holes etc from
  inside the room.
• Modern furnaces have two-stage or multiple speed burners, whereas the older
  models are either turned on or off.  The more efficient furnaces function at
  lower settings for longer on cool days resulting in cleaner and better
  balanced distribution of air throughout the home’s rooms and because the
  burner and fan are operating at a lower speed, the noise produced is also
  much lower.  The newer furnaces only ever have to burn at their full capacity
  for about 10% of the time thereby increasing the working life of the system.

For all your high-efficiency gas furnace service Calgary questions and its needs, call on Mr. Mike’s Furnace repair to help you today.

See also:

Furnace cleaners