A new furnace isn’t a traditional holiday gift, but when you think about it, there’s no better gift for the whole family than a warm and cozy home for the holidays–and for many years to come!
If your existing furnace is old, outdated, expensive, not keeping your home warm enough, or even worse–a potential safety hazard–perhaps it’s time to consider furnace installation. Let’s go over some features to keep in mind when shopping for a new furnace.
Fuel Type
Depending on what fuel sources are available where you live, you’ll need to choose between a gas or electric furnace if your home has a gas line. Today’s gas furnaces are tried-and-true methods of heating a home with built-in safety features to ensure its safe operation. They also heat up a home faster than an electric furnace.
If you don’t have access to natural gas or have some concerns about gas appliances, electric furnaces are another great option. Modern electric furnaces are energy efficient and have extra features for those who are looking to boost efficiency.
AFUE Ratings
To measure a furnace’s efficiency, both gas and electric furnaces have an AFUE rating. This rating describes how much fuel the furnace uses to produce heat. An electric furnace naturally has an AFUE rating of 100%. However, electricity is usually more expensive than gas which is why an electric furnace generally costs more to run compared to a gas furnace
Gas furnaces must have a minimum AFUE rating of 80%. A rating of 80% means it utilizes at least 80% of the fuel it consumes to produce heat. Some gas furnaces are capable of maintaining AFUE ratings of higher than 96%!
With our cold, long winters here in Goshen, NY, it pays to upgrade to a more energy-efficient gas furnace. Although the initial purchase price will be higher, you’ll enjoy much lower utility bills for the 10-15 years that you own the system.
Operating Speeds
Variable-speed furnaces can make a huge difference in your energy use. Options include:
- Single-stage furnaces are the most basic type with a single-stage (single-speed) motor. They operate at 100% capacity when they’re running.
- Two-stage furnaces have three settings, Off, Low, and High. They can automatically adjust their settings and shift to High when the thermostat target isn’t reached within a certain amount of time.
- Variable-speed furnaces operate the blower motor at multiple speeds in response to the fluctuating temperatures in your home. These increments can be quite small to maximize efficiency.
Choose a Professional for Installation
No matter what type of furnace you choose, go with a professional when it comes to installation. A poorly installed furnace could leave your home in the cold, not to mention the possible safety problems. Furnace installation requires an experienced team and when you choose us, you can rest assured that our EPA-certified technicians are on the job.
Contact Quality Heating & Cooling today for furnace service in Goshen, NY. It’s not a Quality job, unless it has our Quality seal.