When researching your options for a new furnace, you are sure to discover the term high-efficiency furnace and wonder if this is a real advancement or a sales ploy. The thought of a heat source that is more energy-efficient than the traditional models sounds very attractive. But you want to be sure that there is really some technology behind the term to pay off. You will be happy to learn that the high-efficiency furnace is a legitimate advancement that does have the potential to save you a great deal of money on your winter heating cost.
What Is A High-Efficiency Furnace?
HVAC equipment is only one in a long list of home appliances and devices that have benefited from technological advances in recent years. In the case of these energy-efficient heat sources, there are two significant benefits. First, they are far more compact than the old room-sized furnaces. And second, they are much more energy-efficient. To offer these benefits, there are two key components that you will not find on your older furnace.
- These furnaces use a second heat exchanger to extract more heat from the fuel once wasted by older furnaces. Instead of losing that energy in exhaust, the new furnaces use a two-stage process that uses vent pipe technology to add to the warmth in your home.
- Unlike older furnaces that simply burn fuel in mass, the new units have a complex system that automatically adjusts airflow to control the amount of energy consumed and maximize heating without energy waste.
What Do These New Units Cost?
Like most advances in technology, high-efficiency furnaces are more costly than the lesser models. The initial purchase can be anywhere from $3k to $7k for the average residential furnace. But the return on your investment comes back to you every month in lower energy bills. It could be easier to justify the higher cost of these new furnaces for homeowners who live in a colder climate and will recover their increased investment more rapidly. The more you use the high-efficiency furnace, the faster it pays for itself.
Think About The Other Green
When considering the cost of these high-efficiency units, homeowners need to think about saving the other green as well. The increased energy efficiency is a boon for the planet. So you are also saving the planet with this innovative heating system. Even though there are still emissions, they are substantially reduced over the emissions of a traditional furnace.
Ways To Save Even More
As you evaluate your options for a new furnace, remember there are other factors to consider when looking at cost-effective heating. Spend a few minutes exploring the exterior of your home to locate any areas that could be compromising how air-tight the house is. Gaps around doors and windows, missing weatherstripping, broken vents, and cracked windows are all places that will let the warm air escape and take your hard-earned money with it.
The other essential item for a warm house this winter is quality insulation. You can check for good insulation by touching the inside of the walls when it is cold outside. If the walls feel cool, the insulation is not sufficient. Likewise, when you are heating your home and able to feel the warmth through the walls outdoor, you need to increase or replace the insulation to retain the warms from your furnace and lower your heating expenses.
To learn more about the benefits of a high-efficiency furnace and receive a free price quote, call (850) 831-4599. The experts at Payne’s Heating and Air Conditioning will provide all the information you need for a complete installation backed by our full warranty.
