New Furnace Technology Delivers 97 Percent Efficiency
Call us crazy, but here at Daffan Cooling & Heating we really get excited about furnaces, especially now that cooler mornings are arriving here in the Granbury area.
Every year, furnace technology gets better and better, and we love to see the new, highly efficient products that manufacturers bring to the market.
Generally, the best furnaces produced today are smaller, quieter, and much, much more efficient than standard furnaces from days gone by. Remember, that furnace in your home could be 10 years old or more–that’s ancient technology compared to what’s available today.
If we take a look at 2014’s Energy Star furnace line-up, we see that all of them have an AFUE efficiency rating of 97 or more. That means, in the case of a natural gas furnace, it’s putting out 97 BTUs of heat for the home for every 100 BTUs of natural gas it burns.
These high-efficiency furnaces are pricier than standard furnaces, but they can save you a lot in annual fuel costs over the life of the furnace, which can be 18 years or more. The U.S. Department of Energy, which administers the Energy Star program, says the 2014 Energy Star furnaces can save some 20 to 23 percent in “lifetime cost to operate” compared to standard furnaces. These high-end furnaces typically have better warranties to give you peace of mind on your investment.
And we haven’t even gotten into the technology of these units. Some features you’ll see include variable-speed blower motors that use less electricity than the old two-speed blower motors. If your old furnace is noisy, you’ll appreciate that these new units have quieter blowers and quieter start-up combustion.
One of the best features we’ve seen in new furnaces is the modulating gas valve, which can turn up or turn down the heat in single-percentage increments. That’s how these units achieve their excellent efficiency–they aren’t turned on full blast all the time, as you might see in an older, more primitive furnace system.
If you replace your 20-year-old furnace with one of today’s high-efficiency models, be sure to pair it with a high-tech thermostat. Today’s thermostats are programmable and can be connected to your Wi-Fi network so you can control them with a smartphone app.
Give us a call or drop us a line through our web contact form if you’re interested in upgrading your heating system to take advantage of the latest technology.
