My new furnace is nearly thirty years old.
- While I’m impressed with its lengthy lifespan, I know it’s time to update it.
The system continues to operate but performance is gradually increasing. I’ve seen a steady rise in the cost of my energy bills. When the system was brand new, it only gave an 85% AFUE rating. Efficiency has really diminished over the years. There are models on the new market that offer 98% AFUE rating. I know that updating to a high-efficiency furnace would give considerable savings on my yearly expenses. This would help to reclaim the investment while also reducing our carbon footprint. My older furnace is a single stage model. It is only capable of operating at maximum speed. When the temperature in the condo drops below the control unit setting, the furnace starts up and blasts at one hundred percent capacity. Once the temperature is raised to the desired level, the furnace very shuts down. This creates uneven temperature, creates complaints with inadequate humidity and puts a lot of wear and tear on the numerous components of the systems. Modern options include flexible-speed technology that allows the system to adjust in tiny one percent increments. The furnace can operate somewhere from forty to one hundred percent capacity. It automatically adjusts to supply only the precise amount of heat necessary to maintain perfect and consistent indoor comfort, but running longer at lower speed uses less energy, better filters contaminants from the air and promotes greater reliability and longevity from the system. I’m also excited by the potential of zone control. I am hoping to update the furnace this fall and appreciate a brand new system this coming winter.