What Is An AFUE And How Does It Relate To Your Furnace Efficiency?

What Does Furnace Energy Efficiency Ratings Mean?

Since home heating costs make up a significant part of the average Centennial, Colorado homeowner budget, it makes sense to weigh your options carefully.

If your heating system operates efficiently and only needs an annual tune-up, you shouldn’t have to think about replacing it for several years.

You may want to consider installing a new, more energy-efficient heating unit if your current system requires frequent repairs and your utility bills continue to increase.

Cost Considerations

For most homeowners, the upfront cost is one of the most significant considerations for purchasing a new heating unit.

While you want your purchase price to be as low as possible, you also need to consider your return on investment.

It is more cost-effective for you over time to install a new heating system than to continue paying for frequent or extensive repair work.

Understanding Efficiency Ratings

Every new gas furnace in the United States is assigned an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating before it is made available to the public.

The AFUE rating, which is typically listed as a whole percentage, refers to the amount of fuel a heating system uses to keep your home or business warm.

For example, a heater with an AFUE rating of 85 percent uses that percentage of its fuel and wastes 15 percent of it.

The amount that is not used is vented through your chimney and outside of your home.

The most efficient heaters on the market today have AFUE ratings of 98 percent.

High-Efficiency Heating System

The Department of Energy (DOE) states that there are several things you can look for to help determine the efficiency of your current heating system.

The first is its AFUE rating.

Low-efficiency units have a rating of 56 to 70 percent and maybe more than 20 years old.

A heating system operating at medium efficiency has an AFUE rating of 80 to 83 percent.

The most highly efficient systems are rated between 90 and 98 percent efficient.

These heating systems have sealed combustion, and the condensing fuel gases are contained in a second heat exchanger to improve overall energy efficiency.

Keep in mind that AFUE is only the efficiency of that furnace to convert fuel into heat.

The higher the number, the better it is at that conversion.

So, yes, that will save in energy costs.

But the higher-efficiency furnaces also cost more than their lower-efficiency models.

That’s something you need to be mindful of when new furnace shopping.

You need to weigh these factors against one another and the cost of your type of furnace fuel when looking to make that decision.

Call us today at Guardian Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment.