Buying a furnace is more than just choosing the one with the most features or swiping your card for the top-of-the-line model. Since it’s going to be one of the more expensive pieces of equipment you’ll ever buy for your home, you should take this task with due diligence.
Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning is your trusted heating company in Coon Rapids MN. For over forty years, we have been helping homeowners like yourself decide on the right furnace for their homes.
Here are three elements you need to look into as you choose your next furnace:
Fuel Type
Not all furnaces are built the same, especially in terms of the power source. It’s important to note what source of power will run the system. Depending on your budget, you have at least three options to choose from: a gas-fired furnace, an oil-fueled system, or an electric unit.
If you’re budget conscious and have an existing gas line, a gas furnace should be a good choice for you. However, gas furnaces require more maintenance compared to their electric or oil counterparts. Since gas furnaces involve the burning of fossil fuels, you need to have a good ventilation system or a properly maintained chimney to effectively let the fumes out. Regular maintenance is required not only to keep it running smoothly, but also to keep your family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you want a furnace that provides the hottest flames, then go for an oil burner. Since it reaches higher temperatures, it can also heat your home much faster than any furnace type. In terms of safety, an oil furnace is safer than propane or natural gas system. It is unlikely for oil to cause an explosion as natural gas can, and its storage tank to develop cracks, making it a better choice if safety is your primary concern. However, it tends to be the most expensive of all types of furnaces.
An electric-powered furnace is perfect for those who want to take safety to a whole new level. Since it neither uses gas nor oil, you don’t have to worry about any kinds of furnace leaks in your home. And because it does not use fire to heat your home, you can worry less about furnace-related fires. Also, an electric furnace has a readily available fuel source. You can use it wherever you live, as long as there is electricity in your home.
Proper Sizing
Buying the most advanced or the most expensive furnace doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be getting a great deal. When it comes to furnaces, size does matter — that is, proper sizing.
If you tend to worry about your budget, you may lean towards a cheaper unit. However, when a furnace is undersized, it doesn’t have enough power to properly heat your home, making it run longer. Not only does it use more fuel, but it also forces your furnace to work with added strain. An undersized furnace uses more energy to perform its job and is more likely to fail prematurely compared to a properly sized unit.
On the other hand, an oversized furnace heats the home too quickly but consumes too much energy. It is inclined to short cycle, which means the unit will shut itself off before it even reaches the right temperature. Frequent short cycling isn’t good for the furnace as it causes the unit to fail prematurely.
Efficiency Rating
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating is an important factor to consider when buying a new furnace. Since your heating system is going to be a major energy consumer in your home, you will want a unit that is efficient and effective.
The minimum AFUE rating for furnaces these days is 80, which means the unit converts 80 percent of the fuel into heat while the remaining 20 percent escapes up the chimney or elsewhere. Typically, the higher the AFUE, the higher the cost.
Ask Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning
For more tips on buying a new furnace, reach out to us. We’d love to answer your questions and help you obtain relevant information. We are your reliable Andover heating and cooling installation company serving you since 1974.