No one looks forward to the day when they need furnace replacement. For many homeowners, it can be a stressful and frustrating time, especially when the need for a new furnace is because of an unexpected breakdown in the middle of winter.
If there’s a silver lining to needing a new furnace, it’s the fact that you have a lot of great options for your new heating system. You can look forward to increased home comfort, decreased utility bills, and a good 10–15 years before you’ll have to worry about this issue again.
So what should you look for when searching for a new furnace? Let’s go over the most important factors to keep in mind. Of course, we’re always here to make recommendations based on your home and household. We’d be happy to give you an estimate for your new heating system.
Gas or Electric
If your home has access to a gas line, you’ll need to choose between a gas or electric furnace. There are pros and cons to both. Although a gas furnace usually costs more for the upfront purchase price, it’ll cost less to run for the lifetime of the furnace.
Some people want to go the electric route because they have safety concerns about gas leaks and the combustion process. However, today’s modern furnaces are equipped with safety features that’ll ensure your furnace runs safely. Scheduling annual maintenance is crucial to safety, so if you tend to skip regular tune-ups, you’ll need to be more vigilant about scheduling them.
AFUE Rating
Another thing you’ll need to consider is your new furnace’s efficiency rating. This applies to gas furnaces. The minimum AFUE rating is 80% but they go as high as 98%. But what do these percentages mean?
A furnace with an AFUE rating of 80% converts 80% of its gas into heat for the home and loses 20% to exhaust. By contrast, a furnace with an AFUE rating of 98% converts 98% of its gas into heat for the home and loses 2% to exhaust. That’s quite a difference!
The higher the AFUE rating, the higher the initial purchase price. But you’ll reap the reward of continued energy savings for as long as you own the system. AFUE ratings can be confusing.
We can advise you on what we think the best AFUE rating is for a furnace based on your long-term goals for your home. For example, it might not make sense to choose a furnace with a high AFUE rating if you don’t plan to stay in your home for long.
Choose Professional Installation
No matter what type of furnace you buy, be sure to choose a professional HVAC contractor for its installation. The most important day in a furnace’s lifespan is the day that it’s installed. Don’t jeopardize your expensive new system with a shoddy installation job. When you choose us, you can rest assured that your new furnace will deliver solid performance over the coming years.
At Hagerstown Heating & Cooling, we want to protect customers from Google and other contractors in Keedysville. Honesty at Its Best.