The AFUE Rating and its Importance to Your New Furnace

When you are in the market for a new home furnace, there are many factors to consider. The up-front cost of the furnace and its annual fuel utilization efficiency rating are the two biggest.

The annual fuel utilization efficiency rating (AFUE) is a measure of the thermal efficiency of equipment such as furnaces or boilers. This rating basically enables you to calculate the annual operating cost of the furnace.

The higher this rating the more efficiently a furnace you are considering buying will convert incoming gas into heat. Not surprisingly, the higher this rating the more expensive a furnace.

When shopping for a new furnace, you will have to decide if you want to pay more up-front for a furnace with a 90 percent or higher AFUE rating, or if you want to go with the legal minimum of a 78 percent rated furnace and pay more in heating bills each year.

Where you live and how often your furnace will be used is a major consideration in this decision. If you live in parts of the country that have long and bitterly cold winters, then paying more for a furnace with a higher AFUE rating will make more sense for you.

A Professional Can Tell You the True Cost of Your New Furnace

With the AFUE rating for a furnace you are considering having installed in your home, you can get a good idea of what you’ll be paying each year to run it. You should have the contractor that you hire to install a new furnace show you a variety of models, and calculate the annual operating cost based on its AFUE rating. Compare this to the up-front cost, and this will enable you to make an informed decision as to which one to get.

A contractor will have the experience to know what to include in such a calculation. They will consider seasonal temperatures, ability of your home to retain heat and local utility rates among other things. They have specialized software that they can input such factors into that will yield as accurate an operating cost as is possible.

Having the Confidence to Get the Right Furnace for Your Home

Searching for a new home furnace may not be an enjoyable task, but it is doable when you know what to look for when considering a new model. Many people may be blinded by a low up-front price and automatically lean toward that furnace.

If you do this, you could be shooting yourself in the foot financially especially if you live in a cold climate. Only by considering the AFUE rating together with the initial cost of a particular furnace can you make an accurate assessment and the right choice for your home.

For furnace maintenance services, Reliability Home Heating & Air is the company for you. Call (443) 399-8663, and get the right experts in the Dundalk area on the job.