When it’s time to replace your furnace, there are many things you should think about before making a conclusion on a particular replacement furnace. With your house and your family’s needs in mind, Appalachian Heating can help you find the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfy.
Fuel Source
One of the first factors you need to decide is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America use natural gas, but some homes are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s critical to know which type of fuel is needed for your new furnace.
Furnace Type
You’ll also want to determine which type of furnace you’d prefer to successfully meet your needs. Furnaces are offered in single-stage, two-stage or variable capacity models. A single-stage furnace blows heat continually at one speed and isn’t the strongest in efficiency within these options. A two-stage furnace works great for many homes. Stage one of a two-stage furnace runs at about 65 percent of its capacity, and stage two will kick in for a heating boost on the chilly Beckley and Mount Hope days. Though if you want to go for the greatest choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be an ideal solution.
Unlike single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a set number of stages to go through to create heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually work at different capacities to answer your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to factor in a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another thing to think about. You could save costs by more efficiently using your furnace to heat the areas you normally use, rather than trying to keep every room at the same temperature. If you want more to know more about zoning options for your home, Appalachian Heating can help.
Size
Another key part of picking the best furnace for your home is confirming it’s the right size for your home. If your furnace is too large for your home’s heating needs, it will waste a lot of energy continuously cycling on and off. If your furnace is too small, it won’t be able to provide adequate heat on the coldest Beckley and Mount Hope days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to review your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is determined by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating represents the ratio of annual heat output of the furnace compared to the total annual fossil fuel energy it consumes. For example, an 80 percent AFUE rating means that 80 percent of energy in the fuel heats the home and the other 20 percent gets out through places like the furnace venting. A high-efficiency furnace will have an AFUE rating of 90 to 98.7 percent.
As you can see, many factors come into play when shopping for a replacement furnace. But, you’re not in this alone. Appalachian Heating is here to answer all of your questions and help you select a furnace that suits your home and heating needs. Just give us a call at 304-707-0600 or arrange an appointment with us online.