Furnace Efficiency Ratings and What They Mean

January 21, 2017

There are a lot of things to consider when you buy a new replacement furnace:

  • What type of budget do you have for a new furnace?
  • How much can you afford each month in heating bills?
  • Do you have anyone in the home with respiratory ailments?
  • What size system will you need to heat your size of home?

But have you ever took into consideration your furnace efficiency rating? Are you sure what it means?

Komfort Air Service Experts is here to help you understand what the furnace efficiency rating is and the effects is can have on your home and your budget.

The furnace efficiency rating helps establish how much energy you will need to heat your home and, in the long run, how much it will cost you. Essentially, the higher your furnace efficiency rating the less energy your heating equipment requires to heat your home.

The AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating is the number that reflects how much heat the furnace will produce compared to the amount of energy needed to produce the heat. For example, if your heating system has a AFUE rating of 90%, this means 10% of energy used is lost and 90% actually becomes heat for your home.

 
Annual fuel utilization efficiency rating 
 
Keep in mind that this rating does not take into account the potential heat lost through leaking or improperly installed duct work or attic insulation. The duct work in every home is different – some high quality, some substandard, so the AFUE rating does not include this in their rating. If you worry that your heating system or duct system is not energy efficient, give your Charlotte installation experts a call today and we will come out for a free in-home analysis and help you determine how much more energy and money you could be saving each month.