Did you know the best way to prevent up to 85% of the repairs a furnace may ever need in its lifespan is by scheduling annual maintenance for the system? This service allows our technicians to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust the components that need it.
Of course, maintenance won’t do you as much good if your furnace wasn’t properly matched to your specific home or properly sized to begin with. That’s what we are going to talk about today.
If you’re in the market for a new furnace, then there are a number of factors for you to consider. These factors can determine the success of your furnace for the next 10-15 years, and help you save money in the long run so they shouldn’t be taken lightly! Read on as we uncover some of the top things to consider for your furnace installation.
Furnace Sizing
Did you know that an oversized furnace can be just as inefficient as an undersized furnace? What happens is that it heats up the home too fast, and so shuts off sooner than it should, only to cycle back on a very short time later.
This process is known as short-cycling, and it’s very damaging to the furnace itself. It causes inefficient operation, and can expedite wear and tear which creates more problems over time. A professional can get your furnace sized properly to avoid this.
Ductwork
If you’re getting a brand new furnace, you should really consider the state of your ductwork. If a new furnace is being hooked up to dirty or damaged air ducts, then you won’t get the performance from your system that you deserve. You might soon discover some of the same problems with your new heating system that you had with your old one, such as poor indoor air quality or uneven heating.
When installing a new central furnace or central air conditioner, you should first have our HVAC pros see what kind of shape your air ducts are in, and address any problems with them.
AFUE Ratings
AFUE ratings can be tricky. AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency and it’s the measurement of how efficiently your furnace will operate. The more efficient your furnace is, the more heat you’ll get per unit.
But if you’re looking to save costs month-to-month, you’ll want to look at more than just the AFUE rating—you’ll want to consider the fuel source. Electric furnaces all have an AFUE rating of 100%. This is because they do not burn fuel and therefore do not lose energy in the form of exhaust like gas-furnaces do.
This can lead you to believe that an electric furnace will be your most efficient option as far as cost goes. But, electricity is a more expensive fuel source than natural gas is. Therefore, you could actually find yourself paying more for an electric furnace over the course of its lifespan than you would for a gas furnace with an AFUE rating of 85%.
Contact Ace Hardware Home Services for expert furnace installation, maintenance, and furnace repair in Hickory, NC.