Guide To Furnace Selection For Your Home

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Guide To Furnace Selection For Your Home

11 November 2021
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog

Are you in the market for a new heating system for your home? A furnace is the most preferred method of heating in American homes. If you're considering getting one installed, you'll want to make the right choice for your home.

Here are a few key primary considerations for selecting a furnace for your home heating purposes.

Does Your Home Have HVAC Ductwork? 

A furnace is a central heating system that relies on a network of ducts to distribute the heated air throughout your interior living space. These air ducts are called HVAC ductwork. If you want to cool your home using a central air conditioner, you can use the same equipment to supply cool air throughout your home.

Whether or not you have HVAC ductwork already installed in your home can have a big impact on your heating system selection. A furnace is generally an excellent choice if your home was built with central heating in mind. If you have to retrofit your home to accommodate new HVAC ductwork, then the total cost of your heating installation project can add up very quickly.

How Do You Intend To Power Up Your furnace?

Although furnaces use a variety of fuel sources, the ones used in homes primarily run on natural gas or propane, furnace oil, or electricity. 

Within gas- and oil-powered units, the fuel is mixed with air before it is burned to heat up a metal heat exchanger. It's the heat exchanger that transfers the heat to the air that is supplied to your home. Electric furnaces, on the other hand, do not use heat exchangers to heat the air. Instead, they heat air directly using heating elements. 

Which fuel source is right for your home heating application will depend on a variety of factors, including its cost and availability.

How Efficient Do You Want Your Furnace To Be?

In the United States, the efficiency of space heating furnaces is measured by the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. A higher AFUE rating indicates more operating efficiency, so strive for a higher efficiency furnace if you want to keep your heating bills as low as possible.

Thanks to advances in space heating technology, so many residential heating units are available on the market these days. While this means that you have more options to choose from, the decision-making process can be tougher, especially if it's your first time shopping for a heating system. If you need someone to help you explore your heating system installation options, contact a heating contractor near you.