subject: What To Look For When Shopping For A New Furnace [print this page] For most families, one of their biggest monthly expenses is their HVAC bill. Heating and cooling your house can be costly, but it is important to keep your house at a comfortable temperature throughout the winter so your home is a pleasant place to be. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to try to lower your heating and cooling costs. One of the things that you can do is to be smart about energy efficiency when shopping for a new furnace. There are also certain other things you should look for when buying a new furnace in order to make sure you get a unit that will work for you over the long haul.
When you are shopping for a new furnace, here are a few key things that you should look for in order to find the best unit for your home:
* Energy Star Rating. Furnaces must disclose their annual operating cost and they will be labeled if they are Energy Star certified. Buying a furnace with a low operating cost and Energy Star certification can save you a lot of money in operating costs over the years. Rebates may also be available for buying an energy efficient appliance.
* Furnace speed. Furnaces come in three types: single speed furnaces, dual speed furnaces and variable speed furnaces. A single speed furnace is either on full blast or it is off. This can result in a draftier house and higher energy bills. Two-speed furnaces have either a high or a low speed, allowing for better circulation of air and a more constant temperature. Finally, variable speed furnaces have several different speeds and adjust to provide the appropriate amount of air.
* Furnace size. The furnace must be sized appropriately to your home and appropriate given the heating conditions. You do not want to buy an undersized furnace or it will have to run longer and work harder and still may not be able to keep your home as warm as you need it to. An oversized furnace, on the other hand, is going to be a waste of energy for your home.
* Type of fuel used. You may need to use oil, gas or electric to heat your home depending upon what is available where you live. You need a furnace that works with the fuel or energy source(s) that you have available to you.
* Furnace brand and warranty. It is important that you buy a furnace from a reliable company that you can trust. It is also important that you understand the warranty on the furnace that you are purchasing. A furnace is a big investment and the purchase of your furnace is not an area where you want to prioritize cost at the expense of function, durability and reliability.
By keeping these factors in mind when shopping for a new furnace, you can get the right model for you and end up with a furnace that does its job in your home now and for a long time to come.
