Heating can easily account for about half of your monthly utility bills, especially during the frigid months of winter. Since you need your furnace to work round-the-clock, it uses more energy, specifically if you’re running an old, inefficient heating system.
If you have an older, low or mid-efficiency unit, you probably have been spending too much to heat your home. Not only does it burn more fuel, but it also causes temperature fluctuations as well as comfort issues.
The truth is that furnaces are never built to last a lifetime. At some point, your unit will show signs of deterioration and will cause you to spend more just to maintain it. If you have been using your furnace for the last 15 years, you may notice a significant rise in your heating bills and frequent need for repairs compared to your expenses in previous years.
Thankfully, manufacturers have equipped new and advanced furnaces with more efficient technologies to provide your home with ultimate comfort at minimal operational costs.
Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning is a leading heating company in Edina MN that offers high-efficiency furnaces designed to address the issues associated with older furnaces such as high fuel consumption, subpar performance, and poor indoor air quality.
How is a Furnace’s Efficiency Measured?
Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) is a measure of how efficient a furnace is in transforming energy in its fuel to heat over the course of a typical year. To be precise, AFUE is the ratio of the annual heat output of the furnace versus the total annual fossil fuel energy it consumed.
For example, a furnace with 90 percent AFUE converts 90 percent of the fuel to usable heat. The remaining 10 percent goes up the chimney or elsewhere. Old furnaces from 30 years ago typically had an AFUE of 78 percent or less. This means that 22 percent of the heat or more becomes unprofitable.
Today, the government has set a minimum AFUE for brand-new furnaces, which is 80 AFUE. On the other hand, heating systems have an AFUE of 90 percent or more are considered high-efficiency units.
The Federal Trade Commission orders manufacturers to display the AFUE on their furnaces so consumers can compare the heating efficiencies of different models.
The High-Efficiency Edge
Most high-efficiency heating systems have the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR-approved products are the same or better than standard products, only they use far less energy. To earn the ENERGY STAR label, furnaces must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the US Department of Energy. Since they use less energy, these systems save you money on your electricity bill and help protect the environment by creating fewer harmful emissions plus you get the features and quality you expect.
A high-efficiency furnace uses a vent damper that is set to automatically shut the flue pipe when the burners are turned off. This results in shutting in the warm air inside, minimizing the amount of heat loss. It utilizes a second heat exchanger to catch much of the heat that would normally escape up the chimney.
A conventional furnace blower typically operates at full speed. On the other hand, a high-efficiency furnace uses a variable-speed blower that maximizes fuel savings. Such a blower provides more comfortable heating by adjusting the airflow speed to meet your real-time heating needs.
Also known as a condensing furnace, a high-efficiency heating system uses an electronic ignition system that is much safer and more reliable than a standing pilot light found in low and mid-efficiency furnaces. This ignition system only uses heat when the furnace needs it.
Older, inefficient heating systems are infamous for creating loud operational sounds. On the contrary, high-efficiency furnaces are equipped with sound-absorbing materials that offer quiet performance while providing the most favorable comfort.
High-Efficiency Home Comfort with Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning
We have an array of condensing furnaces you can choose from, all of which were carefully engineered by Lennox to help you create a comfortable living space with very minimal operating costs. Call us if you have any questions. We are your proven Minnetonka furnace installation company serving you since 1974.