Understanding Furnace Energy Efficiency
When winter hits in North Texas, it hits hard. As a result, heating costs go through the roof. If you are in the market for a new furnace, it’s very important that you pay attention to the furnace energy efficiency ratings of the models you are considering. While it’s not difficult to do so, far too many people overlook this very important factor in determining how much you’re going to pay to stay warm.
AFUE – Get to Know It
You’re going to run into a lot of information if you do your research before buying a new unit. One acronym you’ll see over and over is AFUE, which is short for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. All new models are given a rating by the Department of Energy before they are made available to the public. In a nutshell, models that provide higher energy efficiency get higher ratings. For instance, if you see a unit with an 85 AFUE rating, that basically means it converts 85 percent of the gas or oil it uses directly to heat. The other 15 percent is wasted. The minimum AFUE allowed for new gas furnaces is 80, and the minimum for oil is 75.
It may seem that even efficient furnaces still waste a great deal of energy, but they have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. In fact, your old system could have an AFUE rating of 56 or even lower. There are models on the market now that have an AFUE rating as high as 98 percent.
When the time comes for you to look for a new heating system, take your time, do some research and find the one that delivers the best furnace energy efficiency at a price you can afford. The experts with Metro Express Service will not only be happy to help you choose the right model for your needs, we’ll also install it correctly the first time so you don’t have problems down the road. Contact us online or call us at 972-263-2500.
