Everyone wants to live in a comfortable environment, especially when in your home. To truly enjoy comfort in your home, you must address its heating and cooling needs. Having a furnace is one of the most effective solutions you can have. However, not every furnace you see on the market today is fit for your home. It’s important that you do your research and carefully choose one that meets your needs and your budget.
The following is a guide on how to purchase the most suitable furnace for your home:
Consider the Type of Furnace
There are many types of furnaces available on the market today. Recent innovation has made it possible to improve your furnace and your energy efficiency. There are four common types of furnaces available: natural gas, electric, propane, and oil. Each have advantages and disadvantages depending on your home and location.
- Natural Gas Furnaces
Natural gas furnaces have become extremely efficient in the recent years. Older models are rated around 65% efficiency, while the latest models are rated at 98%. Gas furnaces are the most popular furnace type in the US, but their purchase and installation costs can sometimes prevent households from purchasing them. Besides cost, people have to also consider if there is a gas line that will allow them to have a gas furnace installed.
- Oil Furnaces
Oil furnaces are less efficient than natural gas, but they cost about 25% less to buy and install than their natural gas counterparts. They are most common in the Northeastern United States. Despite not being as efficient as gas furnaces, oil furnaces are usually rated between 80% and 90% efficiency.
- Electric Furnaces
Electric furnaces are cheaper than oil and gas furnaces to purchase and install. Once they’re installed, they also last longer than their counterparts. The catch is that electricity is more expensive to use for heat than oil and gas, so over time, many homeowners pay a comparable amount to what they would to heat their houses with oil or gas.
- Propane Furnaces
Propane is used by less than 10% of American households and is most common in areas where gas and oil lines aren’t accessible. A byproduct of oil and gas production, propane is easily stored in on-site tanks.
Picking the Right Size Furnace
The capacity or the size of the furnace matters a great deal when choosing a furnace for your home. You have to consider the amount of energy you need to regulate the heat in your home before you purchase your furnace. You should consult a local HVAC professional to inspect your home and make recommendations based on your home’s unique specifications.
The Climate and Home Measurements
Before you invest in a furnace, you must know the size of the building you want to heat, and again, you have to consider the climate of the home area. If your home is in an extremely cold area, you should consider a larger furnace capable of quickly heating all rooms. Generally, a modulating heat furnace, one that is able to control temperature within a few degrees, works the best in large homes. Get an expert to calculate your heating requirements in BTUs, or British Thermal Units. A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. This depends on the amount of space in your home that needs to be heated. Choose a BTU home capacity that will supply your home satisfactorily.
When choosing a furnace for your home heating equipment, you have to consider many factors. Get one that will serve you efficiently and for a long time and consider making a larger initial investment if it will save you on heating bills in the future.
