Is your aging furnace begging to be replaced? If it originally had a coal burner, even if it has been modified to burn gas or oil, it’s wise to look into a furnace replacement sooner rather than later. Also, if your furnace is old enough that it has a pilot light instead of an electronic ignition, you could stand to save quite a bit in energy bills by replacing your furnace. However, before you jump on just any new furnace installation, keep the following three things in mind:
Size
It’s easy to simply choose a furnace installation that’s the same size as your current model. However, this decision could end up costing you more, both with the initial purchase price and operational costs. After all, you may be better off with a smaller system, especially if you have made energy-efficiency improvements to your home in the past few years, or your furnace was oversized in the first place. Choose a contractor who will conduct a heating load calculation to help you settle on the perfect furnace replacement for comfort and efficiency.
AFUE Ratings
The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating tells you how efficiently a furnace converts fuel into usable heat for your home. If your current furnace is rated 80 percent AFUE and you swap it out for a 97 percent AFUE model, you could save nearly 20 percent on your heating bills. In this way, a high-efficiency furnace can pay for itself in energy savings over its lifetime. Be aware, however, that in upgrading to a high-efficiency condensing furnace, you’ll probably need modifications in your venting system and other infrastructure.
Fuel Source
Compare fuel prices and availability before you opt for the same fuel source as your existing furnace. After all, natural gas, oil, propane and electricity prices fluctuate, so the fuel choice you selected years ago when you purchased your original furnace may not be the most economical choice today. Choose the fuel source for your furnace installation carefully, perhaps with the help of an experienced contractor. It’s likely that he’ll recommend what you already have, especially if it’s natural gas, but it’s worth looking into other options.
For more help choosing new heating equipment and completing a furnace installation, please contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing today. We proudly provide quality HVAC services to residents in the greater Indianapolis area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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