Furnace Efficiency Ratings and What They Mean

January 21, 2017

There are several factors to consider when you purchase a new replacement furnace:

How much is your budget for a new furnace?
How much can you afford each month in heating bills?
Do you have anyone in the home with respiratory issues?
How big does the system need to be to heat your size of home?

But have you ever considered your furnace efficiency rating? Do you understand what it means?

Fras-Air/General Service Experts is here to help you understand what the furnace efficiency rating is and the effects is can have on your home and your budget.

The furnace efficiency rating helps establish how much energy will be needed to heat your home and, ultimately, how much it will cost you. Essentially, the higher your furnace efficiency rating the less energy your heating system uses to heat your home.

The AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating is the number that shows how much heat the furnace will supply compared to the amount of energy needed to produce the heat. For example, if your heating equipment has a AFUE rating of 80%, this means 20% of energy used is lost and 80% actually becomes heat for your home.

Remember that this rating does not take into account the potential heat lost through leaking or poorly installed duct work or attic insulation. The duct work in each home is different – some high quality, some poorer, so the AFUE rating does not consider this in their rating. If you feel that your heating system or duct system is not energy efficient, give your Hillsborough installation experts a call today and we will come out for a free in-home analysis and help you discover how much more energy and money you could be saving each month.

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