It’s Fall! Time To Do Your Homework For A New Furnace Installation

Eventually, every furnace needs to be replaced. If you think you may soon be shopping for a furnace, it is a good idea to start doing some research now.

Furnace features and efficiency standards have changed in recent years, so you’ll need to consider several things when shopping for a furnace. New Features Some new furnaces have various advanced features, many of which are designed to improve energy efficiency. Some advanced features to look for when shopping for a furnace include:

• Variable-speed blowers.
• Variable burner output.
• Dual heat exchangers.
• On-demand ignition.
• Longer warranty periods.

Top-of-the-line models, such as condensing furnaces, are likely to have all of these features. Such features do raise the initial cost of the furnace, so you will want to weigh the benefits of a lower long-term operating cost versus the higher one-time expense.

Efficiency and Size

On average, new furnaces are much more energy-efficient than the older models they replace. A higher-efficiency furnace loses less heat, and delivers a higher percentage of the available heat energy into the living areas of your home. This means that you can get a smaller furnace that provides as much heat as a larger, low-efficiency model. To determine what size furnace you need, first calculate what your home’s heating needs are. Your HVAC professional can do this using a load calculation protocol known as “Manual J.” You can then find a furnace to match that heating need by multiplying the furnace’s capacity by its efficiency percentage.

Installation

All of those calculations and efficiency improvements can be wasted if the furnace is not installed correctly. Improper installation can reduce efficiency and lead to additional repairs down the road. That’s why you should also shop for a professional HVAC installer when shopping for a furnace. If you’re shopping for a furnace this fall, contact the experts at Sobieski Services in Wilmington.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

Image Credit: HA! Designs – Artbyheather