| Most people have
either never shopped for a heating and cooling system, or they haven't done it
in a long time and the technology has changed.
Either way, it can be pretty
intimidating. To help make this task easier, we've put together a simple guide
that provides tips on what to look for. |
HVAC System Buyers Q&A - Continued
What
should I look for in a new furnace?
The three most important factors to evaluate when you’re considering purchasing a new furnace are: (1) quality; (2) efficiency; and (3) comfort features.
When you buy a new car, the quality of it helps determine how well it will perform and for how long. A furnace is really no different. Purchasing a brand name that has a reputation for quality and reliability can save you headaches and extra expense down the road.
New Carrier furnaces, for example, undergo a rigorous series of quality tests and checks during production, with many of the tests being performed on every unit — not just on random samples. Plus, we back every furnace in writing, with a 20-year or more limited warranty on the heat exchanger (the heart of the furnace) and a one-year limited warranty on the entire unit. Extended warranties are also available.
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A furnace’s efficiency rating, or AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency), tells you how efficiently the furnace uses fuel (gas or oil). In general, the higher the efficiency, the less fuel the furnace will use to heat your home. For more details on AFUE, go to How can I compare the performance of heating and cooling products?
In 1992, the government established a minimum AFUE rating for furnaces installed in new homes at 78%. In contrast, many furnaces manufactured before 1992 had AFUE ratings as low as 60%.
Mid-efficiency furnaces, also known as non-condensing or induced draft furnaces, offer efficiencies from 78% to about 80%. High-efficiency furnaces, also called condensing or sealed combustion furnaces, offer AFUE ratings from 80% to about 96%.
Usually, the higher the efficiency, the more expensive the furnace. If you live in a cold climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high-efficiency furnace paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years. Your dealer can use heating data from your area to help you determine about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost in energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on your energy bills for the life of the system.
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Some mid- and high-efficiency furnaces offer additional features that provide greater comfort (as well as additional energy savings). Two-speed furnaces can run on low speed up to 90% of the time, so they operate more quietly and run for longer periods of time than single-speed furnaces. Longer operating periods translate into fewer on/off cycles, fewer drafts and much smaller temperature swings -- only one or two degrees instead of the four-degree swings common with single-speed furnaces. Plus, better air circulation helps prevent air "stratification" — warm air rising to the ceiling and cold air settling on the floor. In short, you get consistent, even heat throughout your home.
Variable-capacity furnaces provide the ultimate combination of comfort, efficiency and quiet performance. In addition to the benefits of two-speed furnaces, they offer "smart" motors than can monitor your home’s comfort needs and automatically adjust the volume and speed of air to provide the most efficient heating or cooling. They offer added electrical efficiency as well: the "smart" fan motors on Carrier’s variable-capacity furnaces use less electricity than a 100-watt light bulb. They operate so efficiently that they can actually increase the efficiency rating of your central air conditioning system and offer you added energy savings when you use continuous fan operation in any season.
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While heat pumps and air
conditioners require the use of some different components
in your heating and cooling system, the three most important factors you should
evaluate are essentially the same: (1) quality;
(2) efficiency; and (3) comfort
features.
When you purchase a new car, the quality of it helps determine how well it will perform and for how long. An air conditioner or heat pump is really no different. Purchasing a brand name that has a reputation for quality and reliability can save you headaches and extra expense down the road.
New Carrier air conditioners and split systems, for example, undergo 34 quality tests and checks during production, with more than 20 of these being performed on every unit — not just on random samples. Call Geisel for details on limited and extended warranties
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Cooling efficiency for air conditioners and heat pumps is indicated by a SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, which tells you how efficiently the unit uses electricity. Heat pumps also have heating efficiency ratings, indicated as an HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor). In general, the higher the SEER or HSPF rating, the less electricity the unit will use to cool (or heat) your home. For more details, go to Comparing Performance. In 1992, the government established minimum efficiency standards for units installed in new homes at 10.0 SEER and 6.8 HSPF. Most air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured before 1992 had SEER ratings below 7.0 and HSPF ratings below 5.0.
Air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured today have SEER ratings that range from 10.0 to about 17. Heat pumps are available with HSPF ratings from about 6.8 to 10.0.
Usually, the higher the efficiency, the more expensive the unit. If you live in a warm and/or humid climate, you will probably see the higher cost of a high-efficiency air conditioner or heat pump paid back (through lower utility bills) in a few short years. Your dealer can use cooling data from your area to help you determine about how long it would take you to recover the additional cost in energy savings. Of course, after the payback, you continue to save on your energy bills for the life of the system.
One other point to keep in mind is that your heat pump or air conditioner is a "split system," which means that there is an outdoor unit (condenser) and an indoor unit (coil). If you’re replacing an existing system, both units should be replaced to make sure your new condensing unit gives you optimal performance, efficiency and comfort. For more information about matching your indoor and outdoor components, go to Why do I need to "match" my condensing unit and indoor coil? Note: Air-source heat pumps — the type most commonly used in homes — are typically installed with additional back-up heating (usually electric resistance strip heating) for days when the outdoor temperature drops below 30 and the heat pump cannot extract enough heat from the outside air to heat the home. SEER and HSPF ratings do not refer to the efficiency of electrical resistance backup heat, which is calculated differently.
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Some air conditioners and heat pumps offer additional features that provide greater comfort (as well as additional energy savings). Two-speed units can run on low speed (using 50% of the energy) up to 80% of the time, so they operate more quietly and run for longer periods of time than single-speed models. Longer operating periods translate into fewer on/off cycles, fewer drafts and much smaller temperature swings -- only two or three degrees instead of the four-degree swings common with single-speed units. Plus, better air circulation helps prevent air "stratification" — warm air rising to the ceiling and cold air settling on the floor. In short, you get consistent, even cooling throughout your home.
If you purchase a multi-speed or variable-capacity furnace or fan coil with your unit, you will enhance both the comfort and the efficiency of your air conditioning or heat pump system even further.
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Will
My New Furnace Work Differently Than My Old One?
Maybe. When you install a new indoor comfort system in your home, you’ll probably notice it operates differently than your old system. Radical changes have taken place in the technology of the comfort industry in recent years. These changes will affect how your system operates, and also may affect what you notice about your system.
High
Efficiencies
Add-On Air Conditioning
Your New System: Fine-Tuned
For You
Higher efficiencies in furnaces and air conditioners have become increasingly important over the past few years. Consumers, government agencies, and manufacturers all see higher efficiencies as a way to conserve our natural resources while reducing consumer energy costs. Today, furnaces are designed with high efficiency in mind.
To achieve higher efficiencies, new gas furnaces must move more air over the heat exchanger than older furnaces so that as much heat as possible can be sent throughout the house.
The air that comes out of your furnace registers may not seem as warm as with your old furnace, but it will heat your house just as well. In fact, better airflow can improve overall comfort by reducing air temperature differences from the ceiling to the floor, throughout your entire home.
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Modern furnaces are designed to handle high efficiency air conditioners and must have blowers that are efficient yet powerful enough to accommodate the add-on cooling. Since cold air is much heavier than warm air, your system needs an extra boost from the blower to get cool air throughout your home to provide you with efficient total comfort during the summer.
Higher airflows required for cooling operation can contribute to unfamiliar sound levels when your new furnace is operating, because in older homes air duct systems were designed for heating only. All Carrier products have multiple speed settings to allow for the varying air needs of both heating and cooling cycles.
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Your New System: Fine-Tuned For You
Only Geisel can tell you if the changes you’ve noticed are normal when upgrading from an old, inefficient system to a new, highly efficient system. Call Geisel to evaluate your entire heating and cooling system. Sometimes minor adjustments and modifications can be made to existing duct systems to maximize comfort and minimize sound levels.
These changes are a small price to pay for the high efficiencies that mean significantly lower fuel bills and improved total comfort!
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Can
I Use My Chimney With My New Furnace?
The answer is a definite maybe. Or more likely, maybe not. Truth is, furnace technology has advanced significantly in recent years. The higher efficiencies and enhanced performance achieved by today's furnaces make specific demands many existing masonry chimneys simply can't meet. Your local independent Lennox dealer can offer the best advice on how to configure your new furnace to get the most comfort for years to come.
Can Size Be
An Issue?
Is It Possible To Mix Old And
New?
Why Is Condensation A Problem?
What Is
The Difference Between Unlined And Tile-Lined Chimneys?
There are several reasons why new furnaces and existing masonry chimneys aren't compatible. One area of concern for an Geisel might be the size of the chimney. Modern, higher efficiency furnaces transfer more heat into your home and less heat up the chimney than older, less-efficient units. That's great news because it means you're getting more for your energy dollar. But it also means your existing chimney might now be too large for the new furnace, preventing proper venting of flue products and causing condensation problems inside the chimney. In addition, today's induced draft furnaces often require an additional natural draft appliance (such as a gas water heater) be installed into the same chimney for proper venting. Relining the masonry chimney with a metal vent can eliminate this requirement. Other areas for furnace-chimney incompatibility could include the absence of a tile liner in the chimney and the location of the chimney on an outside wall of the home.
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It Is Possible To Mix Old And New.
There are installations where it is possible to marry a new furnace to an existing chimney. Chimney height and location are key factors, as are proper lining and physical condition of the chimney. Building codes also must be taken into consideration. These requirements must be met to ensure proper draft in the chimney for adequate venting.
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An older less efficient furnace produced a higher volume of flue gas carrying more water vapor, a natural product of combustion, up and out of the chimney. Flue gas from today's higher efficiency furnaces contain less dilution air from inside the home which can increase the risk of condensation. This means the chimney is cooler and water vapor will condense on the inside walls of a cold chimney, just the reverse of taking a glass of ice water outside on a hot summer day. Water drops condense on the glass and run off quickly forming a puddle under the glass. The problem is greatly magnified in the inside of the chimney due to its' size. Condensate in your chimney is the source of two major problems. The water combines with flue gases and forms corrosive acids which eat away at the chimney deteriorating tiles, bricks and mortar. Secondly, in winter conditions, moisture freezes and thaws breaking away mortar and bricks. This can not only quickly destroy a chimney and create leaks into the house, but moisture can damage interior drywall near the chimney as well as running back into the furnace causing corrosion there too.
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The Difference Between Unlined And Tile-Lined Chimneys.
The difference between an unlined masonry chimney and one lined with tile is simple but significant. An unlined masonry chimney is constructed only of brick and mortar. A tile-lined chimney has the same brick-and-mortar exterior appearance but it also uses rectangular or round fired clay tile pipe in the center. An air space separates the liner from the brick exterior. If you have an unlined masonry chimney, a listed metal liner kit should be installed by Geisel. All new masonry chimneys are built with a clay tile liner, but in some cases even a tile lined chimney can't be used to vent some new furnaces. So call Geisel for more information on matching a new furnace with an existing chimney. That way, when it comes time to make a decision on a new, efficient Carrier furnace, you'll be warmed with all the facts and the right information!
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