Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘AFUE’

The Two Heating Ratings You Should Know About

Monday, January 30th, 2017

If you’re currently looking for a new heating system, you might be more than a little overwhelmed by the choices you have available. Amid the sea of different models, fuel types, and other configurations, it can be all too easy to gloss over things that should really not be ignored. One of those things is efficiency ratings. Before you settle on a new heating system, whether it’s a furnace or a heat pump, you need to know the efficiency ratings and what they mean. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a system that doesn’t meet your heating needs properly.

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What Is AFUE and Why Should I Care? A Tip From Colesville

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

If you’ve been shopping for a furnace this fall in Colesville, chances are you’ve noticed that each furnace has its own annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. These generally range from 80% to the high 90% s and the higher the number, the more fuel efficient that particular furnace is.

But what does this number really mean and just how much should you care? Well, the AFUE rating should actually have a significant impact on your furnace purchasing decision, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll always choose the furnace with the highest efficiency rating either.

For one thing, you’ll have to recognize that not every type of furnace is capable of running at the highest efficiency levels. Oil furnaces, for instance, can’t compete with the super high efficiency gas furnaces on the market today. That’s not to say that an oil furnace might not be the best choice for you under certain circumstances, but it does mean that you should take a close look at your furnace usage before you make a decision.

If you do choose a gas furnace, you will of course have the option of getting one that can reach up to 97% or so efficiency. But don’t forget that a furnace with an 80% AFUE rating is still quite energy efficient. And once you get up that high, you have to use your furnace a lot for the difference between 80% and 90% to really become apparent. So if you don’t use your furnace heavily during the winter, it will take you many, many years to make up for the higher purchase price of the 90+% AFUE models.

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