What You Should Think About When Replacing Your Furnace

February 26, 2019
woman thinking

When it’s time to get a new furnace, there are a number of things you should consider before making a conclusion on a particular replacement furnace. With your house and your family’s needs in mind, Winters Heating and Cooling can help you choose the furnace that will keep your home warm and comfy.

Fuel Source

One of the first aspects you need to think about is which fuel source your new furnace will use. The majority of furnaces in North America use natural gas, but some residences are set up to use liquified petroleum gas, propane or even electricity. It’s vital to know which type of fuel is needed for your new furnace.

Furnace Type

You’ll also want to determine which type of furnace you’d prefer to appropriately 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 within these options. A two-stage furnace works well for many homes. Stage one of a two-stage furnace works at about 65 percent of its capacity, and stage two will kick in for a heating blast on the chilly Franklin & South Indy days. But if you want to go for the greatest choice in flexibility and efficiency, a variable capacity furnace may be right for you.

In contrast to single- and two-stage models, variable capacity furnaces don’t have a set number of stages to go through to create heat. A variable capacity furnace can actually work at different capacities to meet 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 normally use, rather than trying to keep every room at the same temperature. If you want more details about zoning solutions for your home, Winters Heating and Cooling can help.

Size

Another critical part of selecting the best furnace for your home is confirming it’s the correct size for your house. If your furnace is too large for your home’s heating needs, it will waste a lot of energy incessantly cycling on and off. If your furnace is too small, it won’t be able to keep up on the coldest Franklin & South Indy days.

Efficiency

Last, but certainly not least, you need to check your furnace’s energy efficiency rating. A furnace’s efficiency is determined by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This rating signifies 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 is lost 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 searching for a replacement furnace. But, we can help. Winters Heating and Cooling 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 317-406-5382 or book an appointment with us online.