If you’re considering a switch to a different heating system, or you’re in the market for a new furnace, here’s some numbers for you– as well as some good (free) advice. It just might help you decide whether you should opt for heating maintenance or replacement, and give you some background before you call your heating contractor.
These days, new homes tend to use natural gas or electricity to fuel their heating systems. (Most older homes used oil or wood.) The industry and the government are now pushing homeowners to invest in better fuel efficiency, offering rebates to residential customers and insisting on higher standards for new furnaces.
There’s a thorough discussion of furnace options, savings, heating maintenance and repair at Energy.gov (http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/furnaces-and-boilers).
The article points out that government now requires manufacturers to label their products’ AFUE. The acronym stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, and it helps you compare the energy costs of various furnaces and heating elements.
So, for instance, an AFUE of 90%– which is required on new systems built in northern states (see list of ‘northern’ states at the above website)– means that 90% of the energy actually is used to heat your home. The other 10% escapes up the chimney. An AFUE does not take into account leakage through ducts or pipes, which can be as high as 35% if your ducts run through an unheated attic.
An electric furnace can have an AFUE of 100%, but these are impractical in most areas of the country because of the high cost of electricity. If you’re interested in an electrical heating system, www.Energy.gov suggests you check into a heat pump.
For a good discussion of natural gas systems, see Consumer Reports ——->
This report states that you might pay as much as $1,000 more for a gas furnace with a higher AFUE. But you should recoup that money fairly quickly in lower fuel bills.
There’s an energy calculator– handy-dandy tool to help you estimate your cost savings– at ACDoctor.com: http://www.acdoctor.com/energy-calculator.php#heating.
Consumer Reports has actually done a survey showing which brands of gas furnace are associated with the highest number of complaints. What’s your guess as to the complaint leader? ')}