When it’s time to replace your furnace, there are a number of things you should think about before making a judgement on a particular replacement furnace. With your home and your family’s needs in mind, Marcos AC & Heating can help you find the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfortable.
Fuel Source
One of the first factors you need to decide is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America run on natural gas, but some homes are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s important to know which type of fuel is necessary for your new furnace.
Furnace Type
You’ll also want to decide which type of furnace you’d prefer to effectively meet your needs. Furnaces are available in single-stage, two-stage or variable capacity models. A single-stage furnace blows heat consistently at one speed and isn’t the strongest in efficiency amid these options. A two-stage furnace is a good fit for many homes. Stage one of a two-stage furnace runs at about 65 percent of its capacity, and stage two will kick in for a heating boost on the frigid Houston days. But if you want to go for the best choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be an ideal solution.
In contrast to single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a specific number of stages to go through to provide heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually operate at different capacities to reach 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 typically use, rather than trying to keep every room at the same temperature. If you want more to know more about zoning solutions for your home, Marcos AC & Heating can help.
Size
Another critical part of picking the best furnace for your home is ensuring it’s the right size for your house. 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 keep up on the coldest Houston days.
Efficiency
Last, but certainly not least, you need to consider your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is determined 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 looking for a replacement furnace. But, we can help. Marcos AC & Heating is here to answer all of your questions and help you select a furnace that matches your home and heating needs. Contact our experts at 713-469-3357 or schedule an appointment with us online.