Efficiency

A high efficiency furnace or boiler will heat your home with less fuel and low emissions, thereby cutting the cost of fuel as well as maintenance. The estimated efficiency of a heating unit can usually be found on the label, listed as the AFUE (Annual Fuel Use Efficiency). This number can give you an idea of where to start with efficiency, but is unfortunately fairly inaccurate. Due to not accounting for "Idle Loss", systems with identical AFUE ratings can differ in performance by as much as 25%.

There are also several more industry-specific efficiency numbers that are used by manufacturers, such as ASME testing (in the US) and the European EN 303-5 testing standard for wood boilers. These can offer a bit more accurate comparison, but they have their own issues. In fact, the ASME test is being retooled this year for better accuracy, which may cause a lot of efficiency numbers to change.

When comparing different makes and model of furnaces, the ASME efficiency value is the most consistent. However, know that it is not an iron-clad comparison and real-world values may vary by a wide margin.

Home Heating: Become an Informed Buyer

A new heating system for your home or business is a complicated decision. The choice you make is a sizable investment that needs to last you 10-20 years. On top of that there are additional costs for fuel and maintenance, along with a number of environmental concerns. It's one of those decisions that you have to make right the first time. Surprisingly, most people know little of the choosing process before purchase.
The average homeowner calls their local HVAC company, listens to a couple of suggestions, and chooses the furnace or boiler that seems to fit their budget. This makes the choice simpler, but, since many HVAC professionals are licensed resellers for one or two companies or source directly from a single reseller, they rarely bother with discussing the other options available.

So, how can you be a smarter shopper? What is the best furnace or boiler for your situation? Obviously you would want to research, but where to start?

There are 7 factors that guide you to the smartest purchase of a heating system:

1. Heat Load
   The amount of heat your furnace or boiler needs to provide for your home to maintain a constant, comfortable temperature.
2. Efficiency
   The best performance from the least fuel consumption.
3. Ease of Use
   It sounds rather self-explanatory, but then again it all depends on what you are comfortable with.
4. Legal Regulations
   There may be specific rules and regulations that must be met in your state, and even your local county or town.
5. Build Quality & Warranty
   The guaranty and durability of your furnace or boiler, as well as your protection, in case of malfunction.
6. Cost
   The initial purchase as well as fuel and maintenance costs.
7. Environmental Concerns
   Knowing the environmental impact.
   

Having good information on all these factors will let you make an informed decision. We'll examine and discuss each of these factors in more detail in the next posts.