Knowing what percentage of fuel usage is actually used to heat your home helps you determine how efficient a furnace is. This measurement is a rating called AFUE, or average fuel utilization efficiency. This measurement can be applied to electric, gas or oil fired furnaces and can range from 80 to 100 percent for new furnaces.
An 80 percent rating means that 80 percent of the fuel is being used to heat your home, with the other 20 percent is fuel that is wasted and expelled through your chimney.
The higher the percentage, the better that particular furnace is at converting its fuel into heating your home. The more efficient, the lower your fuel bills. The tradeoff is that more efficient furnaces cost more than less efficient ones.
Our team at Celestial Air can help you determine the right heating equipment for your home, whether you are replacing an old system or converting your heat to a new fuel source.
Generally speaking, to select the optimal heating system for your home start with your preferred fuel source. Then you can choose a furnace that optimizes your return on investment taking into consideration the cost of the fuel and the cost of the furnace. For example, electric furnaces have an AFUE of 100% but the higher cost of electricity outweighs the benefit of the higher fuel efficiency. A gas furnace with 95% efficiency might be a better choice given that the cost of gas is much lower even though it is more costly in its efficiency than an electric furnace.
The size of your home, the layout of the rooms and other factors are key to determine the best system to efficiently heat your home for the least amount of cost.
Please schedule a furnace appointment with one of our trusted technicians. Celestial Air will offer you an analysis of your heating options for new construction and replacement of existing systems.