There are right and wrong ways to take care of your furnace if you want to last as long as possible. Most of the time, we talk about all the things that you should be doing to keep your furnace in top condition as long as you can. Today, though, we’d like to cover some of the things you should do if you want to waste your system’s life and replace it as early as possible. Let’s begin.
Carney All Seasons Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Furnace Installation’
3 Ways to Make Sure Your Furnace is Short-Lived
Monday, February 19th, 2018What Happens When Your Furnace is the Wrong Size
Monday, February 22nd, 2016There are many different factors that go into choosing a new furnace system, like fuel type and AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.) One factor that often gets neglected, however, is the size of the furnace. People tend to think that as long as the furnace can physically fit in the space provided, it will work just fine. This isn’t true. Let’s take a look at what happens when your furnace isn’t sized properly.
Comparing High-Efficiency and Mid-Efficiency Furnaces
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012When you’re shopping for a new furnace for your Perkasie home, it helps to understand the differences between the options available. Many furnaces made in recent years are high-efficiency models with a high AFUE rating. AFUE measures how much of the fuel a furnace uses is converted into heat. When people talk about a mid-efficiency furnace, they’re often referring to older systems.
Single-stage furnaces were considered an efficient heating system when they were built, but compared to newer models, they can use more energy than necessary. Single-speed furnaces run at full capacity until your home reaches the thermostat setting. Once they shut off, your home begins to lose heat, and the furnace may need to work harder and burn more fuel when it starts up again.
Newer two-speed and multi-speed models run more consistently at lower speeds, and furnaces with variable-speed blowers can be even more efficient because they adjust to different operating levels as needed. These systems also respond more smoothly to the thermostat to help maintain a more consistent indoor temperature. That steady performance can reduce heat loss and improve energy savings over time.
If you’re comparing options for a new furnace, remember that AFUE ratings for multi-speed and variable-speed furnaces measure the efficiency of the furnace itself. If you’re replacing an older mid-efficiency system with a high-efficiency furnace, it’s also important to make sure your Perkasie home is properly insulated and sealed. You may also want to consider upgrading older doors and windows to more efficient double-pane options or adding storm doors and windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the difference between a high-efficiency furnace and a mid-efficiency furnace?
Answer: A high-efficiency furnace typically has an AFUE rating of 90% or higher, which means it converts most of the fuel it uses into heat. Mid-efficiency furnaces usually fall between 80% and 89%. Both can heat a home effectively, but high-efficiency models waste less energy and often provide better long-term savings.
Question: How does furnace efficiency affect heating costs?
Answer: Furnace efficiency affects how much of the fuel you pay for actually becomes usable heat. Higher-efficiency furnaces convert more fuel into warmth, so less energy is wasted. Over time, that improved efficiency can help lower monthly heating costs, especially during colder months when your system runs more often.
Question: Are high-efficiency furnaces worth the higher upfront cost?
Answer: High-efficiency furnaces usually cost more to purchase and install than mid-efficiency systems. However, they often have lower operating costs because they use less fuel. For many homeowners, the energy savings over the life of the system can help balance out the higher initial investment.
Question: What features make high-efficiency furnaces more advanced?
Answer: High-efficiency furnaces often include features like variable-speed blowers, sealed combustion systems, and secondary heat exchangers. These components help capture more heat from the fuel being used and allow the system to operate more efficiently while maintaining steady comfort.
Question: How do you choose between a high-efficiency and mid-efficiency furnace?
Answer: The right choice depends on your budget, your home’s insulation, and your long-term energy goals. High-efficiency models are a strong option if you want to maximize energy savings, while mid-efficiency furnaces may be more affordable upfront. Working with a trusted HVAC professional can help you choose what makes the most sense for your home and comfort.
Heating Guide: High Efficiency Furnaces and Chimney Concerns
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011When upgrading to a high efficiency gas furnace in Telford, you may need to make some upgrades to your chimney. Older chimneys built for standard furnaces with normal exhaust needs are not built to the specifications needed by today’s high efficiency models. Not only is it unsafe to leave it as is, but the cost of repairs if you don’t have it upgraded can be substantial.
Down-Sizing
A common concern when upgrading to a high efficiency gas furnace is the issue of condensation and draft. Because the amount of exhaust being vented is reduced by a high efficiency furnace, your current setup is not sufficient for the new model. So, it needs to be reduced in size by a professional to avoid backup of exhaust. Proper chimney sizing is a complex process that requires professional guidelines and careful measurements of all appliances in your home.
Because the chimney often isn’t used at all for a high efficiency furnace (often PVC pipe used instead), the extra airflow in the chimney can become a major issue.
Chimney Condensation
The biggest concern for the chimney when changing the furnace efficiency is condensation. Specifically, acidic condensation droplets can build up in the chimney if not properly stopped. A new chimney liner must be placed in the chimney to avoid excessive corrosion due to the acid droplets. Keep in mind that the efficiency of your new furnace will determine whether you will use the traditional chimney for exhaust or if a new line will be installed to vent your furnace.
When to Take Action
If you have your furnace replaced, your technician will likely discuss the chimney situation in your home with you. Keep in mind that this might be necessary and that there might be an added cost involved because of it. Modern furnaces are not designed to accommodate aging chimneys and your safety and the integrity of your house are at risk if you don’t retrofit the chimney if necessary.
How a Furnace Works
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011Do you know how your furnace works? Believe it or not, lots of Harleysville homeowners probably can’t explain the operation of furnace. It probably isn’t at the top of your “to do” list. It’s only important to know that once you set your thermostat to a desired temperature, the furnace comes on and warms the house.
The most common furnace is fueled by natural gas but there are other examples of heating equipment such as boilers, electric baseboard, or geothermal. But let’s look at how a gas furnace works since natural gas is found in most U.S. households. Gas furnaces use natural gas or propane to provide energy used for generating heat.
When the temperature in your home falls below the level set on the thermostat, an electric pilot light automatically ignites to heat a burner inside the furnace. This burner uses gas to generate heat within a combustion chamber inside the furnace. After the furnace senses that the thermostat has triggered the flame and that it is properly lit, the actual spark (or ignitor) is turned off.
Simultaneously, a motor in the furnace pulls in air from an exchange or return, which could be a grill in the floor, ceiling, or wall of a house. That air flows through ducts into the plenum of the furnace. The plenum is on the opposite side of the heat exchanger from the burner.
Gas will typically burn for at least two minutes before the blower starts to disperse heat throughout your home. This extra time gives the air an adequate period of time to warm up and also so that cold air won’t be pushed through the vents into the rooms in your house at the start. After either the preset time (roughly two minutes) or pre-established temperature is reached, the blower’s motor is turned on and it blows air over the heat exchanger, which usually consists of a series of copper tubes or pipes. When a fan blows air onto the heat exchanger, the air is heated. This heated air is then blown through a series of ducts to heat your home via vents in the floor, walls or ceiling. Exhaust fumes from the combustion process exit the furnace through a gas flue or chimney.
Just as the heat in your home turns on when a certain temperature is reached, it also turns off after the rooms are warm enough, thanks to your thermostat. The thermostat again senses the temperature in the room. When the room warms up to the temperature set by you at the thermostat, the gas valve is switched off, stopping the flow of gas. After the gas is turned off, the blower motor will still run for a few minutes, allowing the heat exchanger to cool off a bit. In some furnaces, the blower motor never shuts off, but operates at low speed to keep air circulating throughout your home.
In a nutshell, your thermostat is the brain in your heating system and your furnace is the brawn, doing most of the work.