When it’s time to look for a new 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, Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces can help you find the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfy.
Fuel Source
One of the first aspects you need to decide is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America run on natural gas, but some houses are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s important to know which type of fuel is necessary for your new furnace.
Furnace Type
You’ll also want to decide which type of furnace you’d prefer to appropriately meet your needs. Furnaces come in single-stage, two-stage or variable capacity models. A single-stage furnace blows heat constantly at one speed and isn’t the strongest in efficiency among these options. A two-stage furnace is a good fit for many homes. Stage one of a two-stage furnace works at about 65 percent of its capacity, and stage two will kick in for a heating boost on the frigid Alliance days. But if you want to go for the greatest choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be an ideal solution.
Different from single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a set number of stages to go through to provide heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually operate at different capacities to answer your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to include a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another feature to discuss. You could save costs by more efficiently using your furnace to heat the areas you regularly use, rather than trying to keep the whole house at the same temperature. If you want more details about zoning possibilities for your home, Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces can help.
Size
Another critical part of choosing the best furnace for your home is making sure it’s the correct size for your house. If your furnace is too large for your home’s heating needs, it will waste a lot of energy incessantly cycling on and off. If your furnace is too small, it won’t be able to warm your home on the coldest Alliance days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to consider your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is measured by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating identifies 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 is lost 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. Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces is here to answer all of your questions and help you select a furnace that fits your home and heating needs. Contact our experts at 308-321-4703 or book an appointment with us online.