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Furnaces

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All winter long, you depend on your furnace to meet the heating needs of your home and your family. Beyond quality installations, we also provide you with options for energy-efficient operation.

Things to know when considering a new gas furnace

Do you know what to ask when it's time to replace or upgrade your gas furnace? Most homeowners don't since it's something they may do only once or twice in their lifetime. If you're thinking about a new furnace there are many factors to consider, but here are five of the most important.

1. Size: The size of a gas furnace refers to its heating capacity, not its physical dimensions. The capacity of a heating system is measured in Btu's (British thermal units) per hour. In general, a unit that's too small will lack the ability to give you the comfort you want. A unit that's too large will cost more to buy and operate. Air Conditioning and Heating Service can recommend the correct size for your new furnace.

2. Venting: The heating contractor can also tell you if any changes are needed in the venting of the furnace. In most cases, the new furnace is placed in the same location as the old and uses the same venting system. However, many of today's high efficiency gas furnaces can be vented out a side wall in the same manner as gas clothes dryers.

3. Efficiency: The efficiency of a gas furnace is indicated by its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or AFUE rating. This simply means The Federal government requires that all new furnaces have a minimum efficiency level of 78% AFUE. The higher the AFUE, the more efficient the furnace. The more efficient the furnace, the lower the heating bill. Cost: In general, higher efficiency units will cost more than lower efficiency units. However, over the life of the unit, a high efficiency gas unit will help pay for itself because of the annual savings in operating costs. These savings could easily pay for the extra cost of moving up in efficiency.

4. Final cost can also be affected by a number of installation factors such as the correction of venting or ductwork problems, and the difficulty of removing the old furnace or installing the new furnace in the desired location.

5. Contractor: Perhaps the most important step in replacing or upgrading your home's heating system is choosing the right contractor to do the job. The reason: no matter how well-made a furnace is, the comfort, reliability and energy efficiency it provides is in the hands of the contractor installing it.

Contractors affiliated with a nationally known manufacturer are usually a good choice because they've been factory trained in installation and service. They can also help you determine your comfort needs, make the right equipment choices and give you the best value for your money. Air Conditioning and Heating Service has extensive factory training.

Furnace Model choices - good, better and best

There are different furnace models available, each with different options. Good furnaces today come with a high 90% efficiency. Step up to a better furnace, and get a two-stage design which makes an already efficient system even more efficient. See the section on two-stage heating below for more information about this innovative design. To get even more efficiency, choose the best model, one with a 93% efficiency, a two-stage design and a variable speed blower. Ask Mike about the different models you can choose from.

New furnaces have a two-stage design to save on utility bills

Ever wish you could just take the chill out of your home's air without being overwhelmed with a full blast of heat from your furnace? Well, now you can, thanks to a new development in gas furnaces called two-stage heating. A two-stage heating means the gas furnace can operate at either high or low to provide the correct level of comfort with the most efficiency.

You'll feel the benefit of two-stage heating most during those transitional times such as a cool autumn night when you just need a little heat to make your house comfortable. Rather than hitting you with a full blast of heat, the furnace responds with a pre-heat stage, warming the heat exchangers before circulating air throughout the house. Then, the two-speed blower starts at low speed, quietly and gently warming your home.When colder temperatures set in, the two-stage gas valve automatically increases the fuel flow and the blower switches to high speed for maximum comfort.

Added Benefits of two-stage heating

Increased levels of indoor comfort, however, aren't the only benefits two-stage heating provides. Higher levels of efficiency and the lower operating costs that accompany them are others.

Operating costs go down for two reasons. The first is the elimination of short-cycling, which is the frequent starting and stopping common to many single-stage furnaces. Compare it to the operation of a car, and it's similar to the difference in fuel economy between highway driving and stop-and-go driving.

The second is better utilization of fuel. For example, at the end of the high-speed cycle, after the fuel shuts off, the furnace continues to run a few seconds, using the remaining heat in the exchangers before it shuts off. This helps ensure that you get all the heat you've paid for.

Call Mike at (801) 710-7127 with any questions or to have him come to your home and give you a proposal for a new, high-efficiency gas furnace.