Key Points
- Look for key furnace components like a variable speed blower, dual heat exchanger, multi-stage heat output, air filtration, adequate ignition systems, and zoned heating options
- Remember to get the right size of furnace: oversized and undersized furnaces create complications with efficiency and energy costs
- Get expert advice before putting money down on a furnace
- IWAE offers affordable financing options to get your furnace in a flash
A new furnace is not a small ticket item: it’s an investment that requires thorough research and a significant amount of time. After all, you wouldn’t want to put down $1000 on a unit that won’t service your home the right way. These considerations might make furnace comparison intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Modern furnaces are more efficient and reliable than older models, making your dollars work smarter, not harder. Plus, the experts at IWAE are here to help you wade through spec sheets and make sure you get the perfect furnace for your home. Here's what you need to look for in a new furnace.
Key Components to Look for in a Furnace
One look at the spec section of a furnace product page will inundate you with numbers and HVAC jargon. Parsing through those terms to find what matters to you can be difficult, so here’s a cheat sheet on the most important components to keep an eye out for.
- Variable Speed Blower - Variable-speed blowers reduce drafts, noise levels, and pronounced temperature fluctuations.
- Dual Heat Exchanger - Heat exchangers draw heat from the burned gas. In more energy-efficient models, a secondary heat exchanger is employed, often made of stainless steel or lined with plastic to stop corrosive condensate exhaust fumes.
- Multi-Stage Heat Output - It's possible to buy a unit with a single heat output setting. However, if you want the best efficiency and comfort levels, dual or multi-setting capability is the optimum choice when your furnace has a variable-speed blower.
- Air Filtration - Filters with an electrostatic charge trap pollutants and particles to clean the air in your home. Alternatively, some furnaces have high-efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filters that trap 99.97% of particulates to a size of 0.3 microns.
- Ignition Systems - Modern furnaces are increasingly employing intermittent, direct spark, or hot-surface ignition systems instead of a pilot light. Pilot lights can be inefficient because they are continually burning. These new ignition systems increase the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings.
- Zoned Heating - If you live in a larger property, zoned heating is a useful addition. Zoned heating adds to the cost because it uses sophisticated controllers and additional thermostats. There is a downside to zoned heating because it can make your furnace more prone to breakdown.
How to Choose the Correct Furnace Size
It's crucial when shopping for a new HVAC system that you get the right size for your home. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself in a world of problems. How do you choose the correct size furnace for your space? The simplest way is to find a professional to conduct a heat load calculation. They can give you the exact specifications of the furnace you'll need to stay warm. They'll take into account your climate zone, square footage, doors and windows, home orientation, and other factors. Of course, the simplest rule of thumb is to figure out the size of the system you're currently using. If you’re replacing a properly sized furnace, you just need to get a replacement of a similar size and capacity. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Impact of an Oversized Furnace
Bigger isn't always better. An oversized furnace could result in home comfort complications. It's going to be less efficient because it will be continuously shutting down and firing up. Oversized furnaces work in short bursts to quickly heat the space, and then when it gets too hot, the furnace shuts down, causing other areas of the home to remain cold. All this on-and-off activity puts a strain on the furnace, leading to a shorter lifespan and a breakdown. Ultimately, it makes your furnace less reliable, and when you consider the cost, oversizing your furnace is an expensive mistake.
Impact of an Undersized Furnace
In short, the same problems occur when the furnace is too small for your home. On the coldest days, the house will always be underheated even when the furnace is running at capacity, which ultimately leads to a malfunction. And that means extra cost to you! A furnace too small for your home will be unlikely to provide an even spread of heat, with many parts of the house experiencing cold spots. You will also get higher energy bills and a shorter lifespan of the furnace.
Understanding Furnace Efficiency
The efficiency of your furnace should be a prime consideration as you shop around. After all, who wants to spend more money on energy bills than they need? The good news is that modern furnaces are super-efficient. Older furnaces inevitably drop off in performance as the years pass. Even coming out of the box, older furnaces are less efficient than modern units. The U.S. Department of Energy has set an efficiency standard of 80% for northern zones and 90% for southern zones. To put this into context, if you swap percentages for dollars, imagine that 100% was equal to $1. So in northern areas, you are getting a return on efficiency of 80 cents, while in the south it rises to 90 cents. So, for every dollar you spend, you could be losing as much as 20 cents due to inefficiency. Most of this loss occurs through ducting and chimneys, so it's important to recognize that no matter how efficient your furnace is, there will always be factors that decrease the performance. The good news is that modern furnaces can have efficiency ratings of 95% or more. This percentage is calculated using the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating, or AFUE for short. When shopping for a furnace, check the yellow label or sticker for this information. The AFUE is determined by the amount of fuel used by the heater, divided by the heat output, measured in BTUs. Basically, the higher the AFUE, the better.
Is Your Furnace Reliable?
There is nothing more infuriating than unreliable products, especially when they could cost thousands of dollars. When buying a new furnace, you should expect a working life of no less than 15 years and possibly as much as 25 years, depending on the make or model. It’s also essential to maintain your central air system if you want it to keep working hard. If your furnace is older than 15 years, it might be time to start looking into a new model. Simply calculate your current efficiency performance and determine whether it’s up to snuff. If you’re losing money on an inefficient system, a new, more efficient furnace might be in your future.
Furnace Warranty
Make sure that you know the warranty length of the new unit you intend to buy. Most furnaces come with a warranty of around 5 to 10 years. The less efficient ones have a shorter warranty period. Speak to your supplier and installer to get the correct information. If they are a competent and reputable company, they should have no issues with guaranteeing the quality of their product or their work.
Financing a New Furnace
We’re not all fortunate enough to replace a furnace when we want to. Often, we have to replace HVAC equipment when it breaks down, meaning we don’t often have readily available cash to purchase a replacement. Don’t let your finances keep you from essential home heating: try out any of these financing options instead.
- In-House Financing - We provide an in-house solution to bridge the funding gap. You may be eligible for financing through our partner Bread, and you can find out today.
- Scratch-and-Dent Rent-to-Own: Did you know that IWAE provides rent-to-own opportunities on scratch-and-dent items in select states? Check your eligibility to see if this program is right for you.
- Government Incentives - It may be possible to qualify for a tax credit or a rebate, and depending on the efficiency of the furnace, you might get energy-efficient financing. There are also some local government and utility schemes that you might qualify for. Check your local rebates right on IWAE.com by choosing the product you want, and then putting in your zip code.
- Bank Loans and Credit Cards - This is the quickest and easiest way to arrange finance, depending on your credit rating. The credit card route is the most costly due to the APR; however, there are some protections offered through your credit card companies on large purchases that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s worth checking them before you decide on the way forward.
Within these credit arrangements, look out for low monthly payments, no down payments, no annual fees, and deferred payments. They each have their merits and downsides, depending on what works for you.
Get Expert Furnace Advice with IWAE
When deciding on a new furnace, seek out the advice of the experts. The IWAE sales team and customer service representatives are ready to help you wade through all of the above factors. In fact, they’ll even tell you if you need a new furnace at all. It may be that your old unit simply needs repairing, especially if it's well within the acceptable lifespan we have already spoken about. A good rule of thumb is that if the cost of repair exceeds 50% of the value of the furnace, it may be time to replace it. When furnaces are nearing their time, it may be better to bite the bullet and consider a replacement, even if the contractor says they can fix it. Choosing a new system takes time and consideration, but if you’re in a pinch, it’s hard to make a sound decision. Don't know any experts? Give the IWAE team a call at 270-575-9595, and we'll answer any questions you have!
