When it’s time to replace your furnace, there are a number of things you should consider before making a judgement on a particular replacement furnace. With your house and your family’s needs in mind, Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. can help you select the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfortable.
Fuel Source
One of the first factors you need to consider is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America run on natural gas, but some residences 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 effectively meet your needs. Furnaces are offered in single-stage, two-stage or variable capacity models. A single-stage furnace blows heat consistently at one speed and isn’t the strongest in efficiency among these options. A two-stage furnace works great 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 Manassas days. However, if you want to go for the best choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be right for you.
Unlike 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 work at different capacities to answer your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to factor in a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another thing to think about. 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, Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. can help.
Size
Another key part of choosing the best furnace for your home is making sure it’s the right size for your home. 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 keep up on the coldest Manassas days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to check your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is determined 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 gets out through places like the furnace venting. In order to have a high-efficiency furnace, make sure to find a system with an AFUE rating of 90 to 98.7 percent.
As you can see, many factors come into play when searching for a replacement furnace. But, you don’t have to tackle this by yourself. Air-Right Energy Design, Inc. is here to answer all of your questions and help you select a furnace that suits your home and heating needs. Just give us a call at 703-260-1148 or arrange an appointment with us online.