When installing a new furnace, long-term costs savings is often at the forefront of most people's minds. Purchasing a unit that has a high-efficiency rating is how you can accomplish this. However, even with this, it's important to note that among those units that share this rating, they aren't all the same. There are some key points you should keep in mind during your search to ensure you're choosing a unit that fits your needs.
Look Past The Marketing
Make sure you understand that simply because a unit states that it is energy efficient, this doesn't mean that it actually is. For instance, some manufacturers will use language like increased energy efficiency. This statement could simply mean that this particular unit is more energy efficient than a previous model, but not necessarily energy efficient by official standards.
Learn to look past marketing and look for actual certification. Within the US, the AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, rating is the figure you want to look for in order to determine whether or not the unit is actually energy efficient. Not simply tricky language.
Investigate Your Current Unit
Get some information about the furnace unit you plan to replace. In terms of the AFUE rating of a unit, the efficiency of the furnace is measured on a percentage scale with the higher the percentage, the greater the level of efficiency. The reason you want to investigate your unit is that you want to choose a new unit with a higher percentage rating than your current unit.
If you fail to do so, you will likely end up not seeing any difference in operating costs. Once you know your current unit's rating, start looking for those options that are going to yield a greater cost savings.
Don't Overlook Size
When choosing a high efficiency unit, don't get so consumed with the efficiency rating of the unit that you overlook sizing. It doesn't matter if you purchase a unit that has a 95% AFUE rating, if the unit is too small for the size of your home – you're not going to save money.
When it comes to sizing a unit, it's generally best to partner with a HVAC technician so that they can account for the size of your home, your insulation type, and your home design to determine what size unit you need.
The more effort you put into choosing a unit, the better it will function for you and the more money you can save. Make sure you take your time to choose wisely.
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