Key Items to Cover When Upgrading Your Furnace

Finding your next furnace may seem like an easy job for any homeowner, but in reality, it isn’t. Without the right knowledge, you can buy a system that’s either too large or too small for your home. Making such a mistake can mean discomfort and a waste of money.

For this reason, Four Seasons Air Specialists gives you a list of things you need to address when you choose a furnace. As your friendly heating company in North Oaks MN, we aim to help you achieve both comfort and energy efficiency. Here are key points you would want to consider.

Determine your energy source.

Natural gas is the fuel most commonly used in home furnaces in Minnesota; oil furnaces are widely used only in certain geographical areas in the country, especially the Northeast. Meanwhile, electric heating systems are uncommon because of the high cost of electricity as compared to the cost of natural gas. This difference makes them too expensive to operate. Gas furnaces, despite using mainly fossil fuel to run, still use electricity to power their blower motors and auxiliary systems. Therefore, the local cost of electricity and the efficiency of a furnace's motor are important factors even when choosing a gas furnace.

Size it properly.

Choosing the most expensive furnace packed with features doesn’t necessarily mean you’re buying the right system. When it comes to furnaces, bigger isn’t always better, and smaller isn’t always economical.

When a furnace is oversized, it heats the home too quickly but uses a lot of energy. A furnace that is too large tends to short cycle, where the unit shuts itself off before the thermostat reads the right temperature. Excessive short cycling isn’t good for the furnace as it causes the unit to fail prematurely.

Contrarily, an undersized system does not have enough power to properly heat your home. It causes extended operation as it tries to reach your desired temperature. Not only does a tiny furnace use more fuel, but it is also forced to work harder than normal.

Just like an oversized furnace, an undersized unit is prone to premature failure, causing you to replace it much sooner than if you installed a properly sized system.

Go for a high energy efficiency unit.

Your heating system is one of the major energy-consuming devices in your home. For this reason, it is vitally important to know how efficient a system is to give you an idea of how much it costs to operate.

A furnace’s ability to convert gas into heat is determined by its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. It shows the percentage of fuel used for generating heat. The rule of thumb is, the higher the AFUE rating, the greater the savings. Of course, other factors affect your actual savings, but the unit’s efficiency rating is the primary contributor.

The Department of Energy demands manufacturers to display the AFUE ratings of every furnace to help consumers compare the efficiency ratings of different models.

Choose the unit with the most safety features.

Home heating isn’t just about comfort and saving money. More importantly, it involves safety. Considering the fact that furnaces use combustion systems to generate heat, there is a likelihood of risking your family if the unit isn’t well maintained. This is where safety features come in handy.

Condensing furnaces, or those with a minimum of 90 percent AFUE, use outside air for combustion. This process is essential to protect your home from fire and it also keeps your furnace from being damaged caused by vapors from household cleaning products.

Also, high-efficiency furnaces use an electronic ignition system that is proven to be more reliable and safer than old furnaces that use a standing pilot light. This ignition system only uses heat when the furnace calls for it. These models are also designed to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Upgrade with a Trusted HVAC Contractor

To ensure you’re getting the right furnace, work only with a legitimate White Bear HVAC installation company, like Four Seasons Air Specialists. Our heating professionals are duly trained and certified installers of heating systems. We’ll make sure your brand-new furnace works as efficiently and smoothly as possible. Give us a call today!