An efficient furnace keeps you comfortable without having to pay high energy bills. There are elements within the furnace and your home that influence how well a furnace will serve you. Below, we will discuss factors that impact furnace efficiency in Morris, AL.
Age
A furnace’s efficiency goes down as the system advances in age. This is because its parts wear out more and more as time goes by. You will notice issues like frequent breakdowns and an increase in your usual energy bill as the system has to work for longer to satisfy your temperature requirements.
ENERGY STAR recommends replacing your furnace if it is more than 15 years old. Advancements in HVAC technology since the time you purchased your system will usually give you better efficiency with a new one.
Furnace Size
Your furnace should be the correct size for your home in order to operate efficiently. Homeowners may want to go for an oversized system, assuming it will heat their home quickly. Unfortunately, an oversized system will make you incur more costs since it tends to short cycle.
Short cycling occurs when a furnace fails to complete a heating cycle and turns on and off multiple times. This phenomenon may cause your furnace parts to break down often and inflate your energy bill. On the other hand, if you buy an undersized system, you will also pay high energy and repair costs since the system runs continuously as it attempts to handle your home’s heating load.
Before installing a new furnace, call us to help you determine your home’s heating load. One of our professionals will consider factors such as your house’s square footage, the number of windows and doors, and your home’s insulation and heat-generating appliances to determine the ideal furnace size for your house.
AFUE Ratings
Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) gauges the efficiency of a furnace in converting fuel into heat. HVAC experts express this rating as a percentage. The ratio compares the heat output a furnace produces against the energy it consumes in a year.
The US Department of Energy considers gas units with an AFUE rating of 90% to 98.5% as highly efficient. The body considers those with a rating of 80% to 83% as mid-efficient, while those below 80% fall into the low-efficiency category.
While shopping for a new furnace, ensure you check its AFUE rating. You can find the rating on the owner’s manual or the energy guide sticker.
Maintenance History
A poorly maintained furnace tends to break down often. Consider scheduling regular furnace maintenance.
During the maintenance procedure, a technician cleans all the furnace components, lubricates the moving parts, replaces worn-out belts, inspects the electrical components and gas line and fixes leaky ductwork.
Air Filter’s Condition
Dirt and debris can clog your furnace’s parts, interfering with their ability to operate efficiently. A furnace air filter helps to prevent dirt and debris from accumulating on these parts by trapping the pollutants.
The more contaminants the filter traps, the more it becomes clogged. A clogged air filter restricts airflow, which may result in multiple furnace problems.
Ductwork’s Condition
Your ductwork delivers heated air into your living space. With time, damage may occur on these structures, causing the heated air to escape before reaching your indoor airspace. Consequently, your furnace must overwork to compensate for the lost heated air.
Also, if your ducts are too small, they may restrict smooth airflow, causing the furnace to overwork, trying to push the heated air. The same case happens if dirt and debris accumulate on your ductwork.
Your Home’s Insulation
One way to keep yourself warm during the colder months is by properly insulating your home. Ensure no air is escaping through tiny gaps in your windows or doors. A properly insulated home retains the heated air, reducing the furnace’s heating load.
Contact Total Comfort Heating and Air, LLC for exceptional heating services if your furnace is inefficient. We will inspect it to find the issues affecting its performance and implement the best solution to restore its efficiency.
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