When it’s time to replace your furnace, there are several things you should think about before making a conclusion on a particular replacement furnace. With your home and your family’s needs in mind, Lakeside Heating & Air can help you find the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfortable.
Fuel Source
One of the first things you need to decide is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America utilize natural gas, but some residences are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s vital to know which type of fuel is needed for your new furnace.
Furnace Type
You’ll also want to determine 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 continually 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 increase on the frigid Chelan and Wenatchee days. However, if you want to go for the ultimate choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be a good option.
Different from single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a certain number of stages to go through to deliver heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually work at different capacities to meet your heating needs.
Zoning
Whether you want to include a zoning system with your replacement furnace is another feature to discuss. You could save on your energy bills by more efficiently using your furnace to heat the areas you normally use, rather than trying to keep the whole house at the same temperature. If you want more to know more about zoning solutions for your home, Lakeside Heating & Air can help.
Size
Another critical part of picking the best furnace for your home is confirming it’s the proper size for your home. If your furnace is too large for your home’s heating needs, it will waste a lot of energy continuously cycling on and off. If your furnace is too small, it won’t be able to provide adequate heat on the coldest Chelan and Wenatchee days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to review your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is measured by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating represents 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. For a high-efficiency furnace, you’ll want to look for an AFUE rating of 90 to 98.7 percent.
As you can see, it helps to do some research when searching for a replacement furnace. But, you’re not in this alone. Lakeside Heating & Air is here to answer all of your questions and help you choose a furnace that fits your home and heating needs. Chat with our technicians at 509-284-4265 or book an appointment with us online.