If you’re content to ride your furnace until it kicks the bucket, it’s time to rethink your approach. Most furnaces wear out their welcome long before they actually break down. Not only does an old furnace get louder and more prone to breakdowns, but most older furnace units are far less efficient than their newer counterparts.
That can cost you money over time, erasing the savings of delaying a new furnace purchase. The U.S. Department of Energy has tabbed heating and cooling as the largest consumer of energy in the average American home. Becoming more efficient in your use of this energy can cut down monthly utilities costs significantly. In fact, if you have a furnace that’s more than 20 years old, even if it’s still running properly it could be consuming 30 percent more energy than newer, high-efficiency models.
That makes furnace replacement a big potential money saver for homeowners in Auburn Hills, Grosse Point and throughout the Detroit metropolitan area. But in order to make sure you’re getting the best furnace for your money, you’ll need to understand what to look for in a unit.
Most furnace manufacturers will say their units are energy efficient, but ignore these claims. What matters is whether the unit’s Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating. This is the industry standard for measuring a furnace’s fuel efficiency. The higher the ratio for converting fossil fuel into usable heat, the higher the percentage rating.
Before following through with a furnace replacement, you’ll also want to make sure the new furnace is properly sized for your home. This sizing is measured in output capacity, which is the furnace’s ability to provide heat to a given amount of interior space. You’ll need a qualified heating and cooling contractor to choose the proper furnace for your home. With a new furnace selected, you can proceed with the replacement and start saving on your utilities bills.
For more expert information about furnace replacements and high-efficiency furnaces, as well as other issues regarding home comfort, please contact us at 1-800-762-0079. We’ve been serving the Detroit metropolitan area since 1945.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Detroit, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace replacement and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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