When it becomes time to buy a new furnace for your home, it can be quite overwhelming to see all the options available. It’s best to take your time and compare various factors to ensure that you’re getting the ideal furnace for your specific conditions. If you don’t know where to start, we’re going to share some of our best tips with you below.
Decide on a Fuel Source
One of the best places to start narrowing down your options is by deciding on what type of fuel you want your furnace to use. A furnace can be built to run on electricity, propane, heating oil, or natural gas. There are a few different things you’ll want to keep in mind when deciding which one is appropriate for your home.
If you already have existing infrastructure in place for natural gas or heating oil, it’s typically going to be most cost-effective to stick with the same type of fuel you already have. However, it’s crucial to know that natural gas is going to be the cheapest fuel to run while electricity is going to be the most expensive.
Operating Efficiency
Electric furnaces offer 100% efficiency while most standard furnaces that burn heating oil, propane, and natural gas offer an efficiency in the 80% range. There are high-efficiency models for all these fuel-burning furnaces that you can opt to purchase. High-efficiency models typically have an efficiency in the 90% range. The more efficient your furnace is, the less you’ll spend on utility bills throughout the winter.
Furnace Stage
Furnaces can operate with different stages depending on their specific model. There are three different types of stages that furnaces come in. These include the single-stage, multi-stage, and modulating furnaces. A single-stage furnace uses one flame to heat your air and will turn on and off throughout the day. This type of furnace doesn’t offer a very precise thermostat reading, as it usually is a couple of degrees off.
Another option is the multi-stage that has two different sizes of flames. It uses a smaller flame whenever a mild amount of heat is necessary. It will use the larger flame when the weather is very cold and your furnace needs to produce a lot of heat. This type of furnace allows for more precise temperature readings than the single-stage furnace.
Lastly, we have the modulating furnace. Similarly to a single-stage furnace, a modulating furnace only uses one flame. However, it has control to accurately adjust the size of the flame to more precisely meet your temperature needs. This helps to provide a steady source of heat that keeps your home at the exact temperature you have set on your thermostat. Modulating furnaces are going to be the most expensive followed by the multi-stage furnace.
Heating Capacity
By far, one of the most important factors to take into consideration is the heating capacity of a potential furnace. Furnaces come in a wide variety of sizes, which is notated by their BTU recommendations. It’s imperative to get a furnace of the appropriate size, as a furnace that’s too small won’t be adequately able to heat your home while a furnace that’s too large will run up your energy bills.
You can get a ballpark idea of what size furnace you need by multiplying your home’s total square footage by 40 BTUs. For example, if your home is 1,000 square feet, then your furnace will likely need a heating capacity of 40,000 BTUs. It’s vital to know that this is just an estimate and you’ll need to consult an HVAC technician to get a more precise heating capacity for your next furnace.
Incentives and Rebates
Another factor you may want to consider when purchasing a new furnace for your home is what tax incentives and brand rebate options there are. Typically, you can receive federal tax incentives when you opt to purchase a high-efficiency furnace. You may even find that some state and local governments offer these incentives as well. Another thing to look into is brand rebates. You can typically find these through your HVAC provider as furnace manufacturers will create rebates for HVAC companies to give to their customers to entice more purchases.
Blower Type
Another aspect to consider is the type of blower that you want your furnace to have, which includes single-speed, multi-speed, or variable-speed. With a single-speed blower, it’s either in on or off mode. With a multi-speed blower, there are three different speeds that it can run out to give you more control over your comfort and efficiency. These multi-speed blowers can be set on low, medium, and high. Lastly, we have the variable speed blower. This is the most efficient blower out there that has the ability to make incremental adjustments as it sees fit.
Zoning
All furnaces can be installed with different ductwork zones to help optimize your unit’s efficiency and your overall comfort while at home. These are common for homes with two stories, where the upper level tends to get hotter than the lower level due to the natural rise of heat. Zone systems allow you to set each zone at its own temperature. Following the example above, you could set the upper level to be at 68 degrees and the lower level to be at 70 degrees.
Warranty Coverage
One factor you definitely don’t want to overlook when choosing the right furnace is its warranty coverage. Different manufacturers will offer different warranty coverage limits. You want to ensure that you’re choosing a furnace that has a fairly decent warranty period, so you’re not left paying out of pocket for defective system components. You may even find that some HVAC companies will offer extended warranty coverage that goes beyond the standard factory warranty.
Features and Technology
Furnace technology has come a long way in recent decades. Now, homeowners can take advantage of many convenient features that new furnaces can offer. One of these features is getting a smart thermostat, where you can control your thermostat settings from your smartphone. You can even opt to have the air filter warning that will let you know when it’s time to change out the air filter on your furnace. These convenience features can make a big difference in your furnace usage.
Getting Quotes
When you decide on the main features that you want your furnace to have, it’s time to start thinking about getting quotes from reputable HVAC companies. It’s important to realize that different brands are going to come at varying price points. Typically, using a reputable furnace brand will provide you with the best products that are known to last and have fewer repair issues than lesser-known furnace brands. You may even find that some HVAC companies may offer additional services, like allowing you to join their loyalty program. This could save you a bundle in yearly maintenance costs.
Expert Furnace Installation Service
Universal Heating & Cooling offers expert furnace installation service to the Dayton, OH community. We can assist with all your cooling, heating, and indoor air quality needs. Call us today to book your next service consultation.
