Making smart decisions when replacing your furnace will benefit you for years to come. Think about these three major factors concerning furnaces when it comes time for your next furnace installation:
1. How Efficient Should You Go?
There’s always a tradeoff between efficiency and cost. A unit with a high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating will cost more upfront than one with a lower rating. However, a more efficient furnace will waste less fuel and consequently save you money on energy bills. If the amount you save from the extra energy efficiency in the first decade outweighs the extra initial cost, it’s a good choice.
2. What Fuel Should You Use?
The fuel you choose will affect your energy costs and the amount of furnace options you have. Sticking to a popular, available and relatively cheap fuel like natural gas will guarantee many different options. However, it’s up to you to evaluate the cost of different fuels in your area and personal preferences about factors like environmental impact before you choose a fuel.
3. How Big is Needed?
If there’s one thing you shouldn’t neglect when it comes to research, it’s sizing your furnace. If you choose a furnace based on the size of your old furnace, or based solely on the square footage of your home, you will likely end up with an oversized furnace, which is a common scenario. The problem is that oversized furnaces waste fuel and aren’t able to heat your house as well as a properly sized unit. They also put a lot of wear and tear on furnace components, which are cycling on and off more frequently. They cost you in terms of both energy waste and comfort. And for obvious reasons, you don’t want a furnace that’s too small for your home’s heating load.
The proper way to size a furnace is by using the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s Manual J. Make sure before your furnace installation that your contractor uses this industry standard load calculation software, because it’s the correct way to factor in the insulation, size, layout and other actors of your home into the sizing calculation.
Please contact Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning for expert furnace replacement help in the Fresno area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace installation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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