How to Compare Furnace Brands

A well-rounded chimney functions when you want it to most, without the continuous need for costly repairs or maintenance. Choosing the best brand for your needs begins with determining which brands carry furnaces in your fuel selection, whether it’s gasoline, oil or electric. Brands for all three fuel types share common traits that you are able to compare when shopping around for a new furnace.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency impacts both the expense of running the furnace and the amount of fuel actually utilized to heat the house. Efficiency evaluations vary by design, so it is very important to compare actual efficiency ratings for the models and brands you’re considering. Be aware that efficiency ratings can be deceptive. For example, electric furnaces may be 100 percent efficient because there’s almost no energy lost in turning power into heat. By comparison, new oil and gas furnaces can vary from 75 percent to 95 percent efficient. However, the expense of electricity typically is greater than the cost of different fuels. A high-efficiency furnace will cost to run over the long run, but the furnace itself may be more expensive at first purchase.

Choosing a Size

Verifying that the brands you’re considering have furnaces in a size that suits your home and heat demands further helps narrow your choices. An exceedingly large furnace may continue to keep the house warmer, but it will cycle on and off more often, resulting in reduced efficacy and unnecessary wear and tear on the equipment. An undersized furnace may not keep the house as warm as desired or run at optimum efficiency. Furnace size calculations are complicated because the size of the house, the total amount of insulation, house construction materials and the climate play a role in determining which furnace is greatest. When possible, employing a heating Boston repair specialists, ventilation and air conditioning professional to carry out these calculations using the industry standard Manual J HVAC Boston repair specialists residential load calculations provides the optimal size conditions for your home. If your prior furnace worked well for your house size, you can also search for brands that carry exactly the same size as your prior furnace.

Reliability and Disadvantages

All furnace brands perform best with some yearly maintenance, including changing the filters and having the equipment inspected by an HVAC El Paso repair specialists professional. Checking brand evaluations or with a consumer reporting agency may also reveal how often some furnace brands require outside repair. Avoid brands that often require repairs, as a single repair can prices $150 or more and leave you without heat if you want it most. Generally, gas furnace brands require fewer repairs than electric furnaces, but choosing the most reliable brand for your budget and El Paso AC repair specialists needs can save money in the long run.

Price Factors

Price should be among the final variables when choosing the most appropriate furnace brand for your needs. When you have narrowed down the various choices by efficacy, size and reliability, compare the cost differences among various brands and versions. Comparing different expenses and efficacy ratings across brands helps you select the best and most cost-effective brand to your needs. Start by calculating the savings from the energy efficiency rating. Divide the efficacy rating of your current furnace by the rating of this new furnace, then multiply the result by your typical yearly heating Sacramento repair specialists cost; the difference of both prices is how much you can expect to save each year with the higher-efficiency model. In many cases, the brands with moderate to high efficiency ratings will probably be the better choice over the long run.