| Buying your first gas furnace can be intimidating. | | | | furnaces these days. They do cost a little more |
| Having effective heat in your home is critical for | | | | up front, but you will make that money back in |
| comfortable living and heating your home in the | | | | fuel savings over the life of the furnace. With the |
| most effective way can have a significant benefit | | | | cost of fossil fuels in the future being so |
| to your budget. Further, a good furnace can last | | | | uncertain, it is a good bet to invest the money |
| for decades so you might have to live with | | | | now. If you have any concern over pollutants |
| whatever decision you make now for a while. It is | | | | released by your furnace then obviously a more |
| worth putting some effort into the process. | | | | efficient one will be better for the environment as |
| Perhaps the most important thing you'll do when | | | | well. Finally, if you are looking to collect on the |
| getting a new furnace is to hire a good | | | | generous tax credit from Uncle Sam, you need to |
| contractor. Everyone's situation is a little bit | | | | buy a fairly efficient model. Furnace efficiency is |
| different. Though you want to be able to meet | | | | indicated by its AFUE rating. To qualify for the tax |
| your contractor with good information in hand and | | | | credit your furnace needs to have a rating of |
| understanding in your head, they are the expert | | | | 95% or more. |
| and should be able to guide you in the right | | | | Modern furnaces have an array of less significant |
| direction regarding equipment selection, installation, | | | | features available. Less significant than efficiency |
| and all other considerations. | | | | or size that is, but still worth considering. One, |
| But of course not all contractors are created | | | | which technically isn't part of the furnace it self, is |
| equal, so make choosing a good contractor a high | | | | the blower, or circulation fan, that is responsible |
| priority. The details on picking a good contractor is | | | | for pushing the hot air through your home. |
| enough fodder for another article, but know it is | | | | Modern versions of these fans can operate at |
| important and make a good choice. | | | | variable speeds according to the current heating |
| That all said, going to your contractor with the | | | | needs. This provides quieter operation, more |
| right questions will help them do the best job for | | | | efficient heating, and cheaper operating costs (the |
| you. Read on. | | | | fan runs on expensive electricity). This is a |
| The size of your new furnace is the most | | | | worthwhile investment. Plus an efficient fan |
| important specification you need to think about. | | | | qualifies you for a greater tax credit. |
| The two main considerations when choosing | | | | Most people are familiar with the great promise of |
| furnace size are how large your home is and how | | | | zoned climate controls in homes. It sounds great: |
| cold it gets in the winter. It should be fairly | | | | just heat the portion of the house you're using |
| obvious that if you install a furnace that is too | | | | and save big. In practice, though, it rarely delivers |
| small to heat your home, then you will be cold. | | | | so well as the theory. Think carefully before |
| The furnace will be running constantly and not | | | | investing in a zoned system (which of course |
| enough heat will be generated. | | | | costs more up front). A home which can't be |
| On the other hand, too large a furnace has its | | | | effectively divided into zones can wind up costing |
| problems too. If your furnace is excessively large | | | | you a lot more to heat with a zoned system. |
| for the space it is heating, it will tend to turn on | | | | Talk to your contractor about this. |
| and off many more times than a better matched | | | | Pilot lights are a thing of the past. Don't even think |
| furnace. This is inefficient and will cost your more | | | | about it. They are inconvenient (they go out at |
| in fuel in the end than a smaller furnace would | | | | the worst times) and inefficient. Anyone who tries |
| have (remember you'll probably pay more for the | | | | to sell you a furnace with a pilot light ignition |
| bigger furnace too!). All those extra heating and | | | | system should be sent packing. |
| cooling cycles causes more expansion and | | | | After you have considered all of these general |
| contraction and puts excessive wear on the | | | | features, you have to actually pick a brand and |
| components. So your bigger more expensive | | | | model. Once again, you should lean heavily on your |
| France won't last as long. Finally, a too large | | | | contractor's experience here. Feel free to |
| furnace will tend to cause greater temperature | | | | investigate models on your own, but you also |
| variations as it heats. So your bigger more | | | | should be asking your contractor how many of a |
| expensive furnace that will wear out faster won't | | | | given model he or she has installed and how those |
| even be as comfortable as the smaller one you | | | | installations have worked out. For this reason, the |
| should have bought. | | | | latest and greatest model may not always be the |
| Your reliable contractor will be able to assist you | | | | best choice. Models with a couple of years on the |
| with the calculation you need to determine the | | | | market and a proven track record will give you a |
| heating capacity you should be getting. There are | | | | little more confidence in their reliability. |
| industry standard ways to figure this out, so | | | | And that's about all there is to it, not really so |
| make sure they're using them. | | | | much to worry about in the end. |
| There isn't any good reason to buy less efficient | | | | |