Types of Residential Furnaces
Most homeowners only think about their furnace when it is time to turn it on, do maintenance or it malfunctions in some way. When buying a house, most people don’t know the questions to ask regarding the furnace. People should take time and acquaint themselves with what is out there in terms of the types of furnaces. Here the most common types of furnaces will be discussed they are: Single-stage furnace, dual-stage furnace and modulating furnace.
A single stage furnace has a gas flame that is either on or off. The furnace warms air which is blown into the duct work and into rooms in a house where it warms the air. The furnace waits for the temperature in the room to reach that to which the thermostat is set. Once it reaches that temperature, the furnace shuts off until the room cools. It usually cools to a temperature that is not comfortable before it fires on again.
You've probably lived in a house with a single stage furnace. The gas flame is either on or off. Consequently, the furnace waits for the temperature in the house to get cold--often colder than comfortable--before firing on. Then, the furnace rams the house full of heat until the thermostat shuts the system down.
A single stage furnace when warming a room will sometimes put too much heat into the room. If the thermostat is set to 72 degrees, the room’s actual temperature may reach 76 degrees or be as low as 68 degrees before it fires up again.
Because of their poor performance, single stage furnaces are the most wasteful furnaces. They, however, are the lowest in price.
Two stage furnaces are better than single stage furnaces. Rather than switching on and off depending on the temperature of the room, they have settings. These settings are high, low or off.
They have two flames. The second flame makes a dramatic difference in energy costs. They also run quieter than single stage furnaces. They also cost slightly more than regular single stage furnaces.
What they do is stay lit and then switch from high to low depending on how much heat needs to be sent to the room that needs to be heated. When the temperature is set at 72 degrees, the actual temperature may range between 70 to 74.
Therefore, the double stage furnace is much more efficient. Although it is more expensive, it saves the homeowner money in energy bills.
The modulating furnace is different. It is the most efficient furnace. The flame on this furnace adjusts incrementally so that the temperature never is more than 1 or 2 degrees from the thermostat’s target temperature.
With this furnace, the homeowner will not have a build-up of heat in one room when the fan blows air into the room. Also, the room will not be cold once the heat has left the room. It is the most comfortable furnace because it keeps an even temperature in the rooms it warms.
The flame and the blower on this type of furnace are variable, according to demand.
If a homeowner sets his temperature at 72 degrees the actual temperature will be as low as 71 degrees or as high as 73 degrees.
Modulating gas furnaces are among the most energy efficient. They are rated 98% efficiency. They also cost the most.
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a furnace is its AFUE or annual fuel utilization efficiency. This is a way to determine the thermal efficiency of a homeowner’s furnace. It determines the actual efficiency of the furnace. It compares the amount of heat that goes to the house as opposed to the fuel that the furnace uses. The U. S. Department of Energy determined that there must be a minimum score of AFUE 78% for all furnaces sold in the U.S. Heating companies in Union County will have more information.
Furnaces are a huge deal. However, most homeowners do not think about their furnace until something goes wrong, it needs maintenance or they have to replace it. What they may not realize is that the type of furnace they have can make a huge difference in the comfort of they living areas of their homes and the amount of money they spend to keep their homes warm in the winter months. Knowing the different types of furnaces available and about the AFUE will help them should they ever be in a situation where they will be purchasing a furnace.
A single stage furnace has a gas flame that is either on or off. The furnace warms air which is blown into the duct work and into rooms in a house where it warms the air. The furnace waits for the temperature in the room to reach that to which the thermostat is set. Once it reaches that temperature, the furnace shuts off until the room cools. It usually cools to a temperature that is not comfortable before it fires on again.
You've probably lived in a house with a single stage furnace. The gas flame is either on or off. Consequently, the furnace waits for the temperature in the house to get cold--often colder than comfortable--before firing on. Then, the furnace rams the house full of heat until the thermostat shuts the system down.
A single stage furnace when warming a room will sometimes put too much heat into the room. If the thermostat is set to 72 degrees, the room’s actual temperature may reach 76 degrees or be as low as 68 degrees before it fires up again.
Because of their poor performance, single stage furnaces are the most wasteful furnaces. They, however, are the lowest in price.
Two stage furnaces are better than single stage furnaces. Rather than switching on and off depending on the temperature of the room, they have settings. These settings are high, low or off.
They have two flames. The second flame makes a dramatic difference in energy costs. They also run quieter than single stage furnaces. They also cost slightly more than regular single stage furnaces.
What they do is stay lit and then switch from high to low depending on how much heat needs to be sent to the room that needs to be heated. When the temperature is set at 72 degrees, the actual temperature may range between 70 to 74.
Therefore, the double stage furnace is much more efficient. Although it is more expensive, it saves the homeowner money in energy bills.
The modulating furnace is different. It is the most efficient furnace. The flame on this furnace adjusts incrementally so that the temperature never is more than 1 or 2 degrees from the thermostat’s target temperature.
With this furnace, the homeowner will not have a build-up of heat in one room when the fan blows air into the room. Also, the room will not be cold once the heat has left the room. It is the most comfortable furnace because it keeps an even temperature in the rooms it warms.
The flame and the blower on this type of furnace are variable, according to demand.
If a homeowner sets his temperature at 72 degrees the actual temperature will be as low as 71 degrees or as high as 73 degrees.
Modulating gas furnaces are among the most energy efficient. They are rated 98% efficiency. They also cost the most.
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a furnace is its AFUE or annual fuel utilization efficiency. This is a way to determine the thermal efficiency of a homeowner’s furnace. It determines the actual efficiency of the furnace. It compares the amount of heat that goes to the house as opposed to the fuel that the furnace uses. The U. S. Department of Energy determined that there must be a minimum score of AFUE 78% for all furnaces sold in the U.S. Heating companies in Union County will have more information.
Furnaces are a huge deal. However, most homeowners do not think about their furnace until something goes wrong, it needs maintenance or they have to replace it. What they may not realize is that the type of furnace they have can make a huge difference in the comfort of they living areas of their homes and the amount of money they spend to keep their homes warm in the winter months. Knowing the different types of furnaces available and about the AFUE will help them should they ever be in a situation where they will be purchasing a furnace.