No one wants to find themselves stuck in the cold when winter comes. So, if your home furnace is more than 12-years-old, requires frequent repairs, fails to heat certain areas of your home or runs excessively, you may need to purchase a new heating system.
Before you shop, here’s four things you should know to ensure you’re getting the most for your money.
1. Choose a high-efficiency unit. High-efficiency furnaces are required for all home furnace replacements in Canada, but there is still a range of efficiency available. You’ll find furnaces that have an AUFE rating ranging from 90 to 98.2 – the higher the rating, the more efficient the furnace is. To find the AUFE rating of a potential new furnace, look for the EnerGuide label on the back page of manufacturer’s brochure.
A high-efficiency furnace tends to be more costly on the outset, but you will be able to recoup the additional expense over the unit’s lifetime. Our customers have found that replacing their existing furnace with a Bryant furnace has reduced their heating costs by up to 30%.
2. Find a home furnace with variable-speed blowers. This is a relatively new technology that offers you a way to significantly reduce your energy costs. Traditional blower motors only run on one speed, and cycle on and off throughout the day. Variable-speed blowers can run at a variety of speeds and are made to run continuously, ramping up or down to meet your heating needs. Because warm air is continuously circulated around your home you shouldn’t have to adjust your thermostat throughout the day, helping to lower your monthly energy costs.
3. Select a hot surface igniter. The traditional pilot light is a small gas flame that is always burning fuel and wasting energy. A furnace with an electronic spark ignition will only ignite when the thermostat calls for heat, making it more efficient. These systems are also generally safer and easier to maintain than pilot lights.
4. Get the right size. A furnace that’s too small will run constantly without optimally heating your home. A furnace that is too big will turn on and off too frequently, never reaching its peak efficiency. To find the right size for your home, you’ll need to determine your home’s heating requirements (Btu/hr). The calculation is relatively easy but lengthy, so your best bet is to get a HVAC professional to help with sizing and the furnace installation
For more information about purchasing a new furnace, contact us at Vigor Heating. We’re here to help.