An Energy Efficient Furnace Is a Sum of Its Parts

It’s a chilly winter yet again and our boilers and furnaces are working overtime to keep our homes and bodies warm and comfortable. The comfort comes at a price, and the energy bills seem to scale new peaks every month!

With budgets going haywire, the obvious answer to use less energy and thus spend less is replacing an old heating system with a new energy efficient furnace. Indeed, new models come with high energy efficiency ratings.

These ratings compare the amount of heat generated against the energy consumed by the furnace. New energy efficient systems deliver more heat for the same amount of energy with AFUE ratings as high as 95% to even 100%. On the other hand, older units average just about 55% to 70%.

So, it seems that all a homeowner has to do is replace the furnace or boiler with a maximum efficiency one and await a drastic meltdown in the utility bill! Alas, this does not always happen as other forces also come into play. Such as:

Installation – Faulty installation keeps the furnace from working as efficiently as it should, thus making a serious dent into the expected gains. An energy efficient furnace will deliver the goods only when it is properly installed by factory-trained, licensed and experienced technicians.

Ducting - The ducts that distribute the steam or heated air through the house can also cause energy loss in myriad unseen ways. Leaks, poor insulation and exposure to the elements are the major factors that strain the furnace to work more (and use more energy) to heat the same amount of space.

Therefore, it is imperative to properly seal all leaks and insulate the ducts as well. Ducts that pass through attic areas and other unheated places also cause heat loss, thus reducing the furnace’s heating efficiency. Placing the ductwork in the conditioned space itself is emerging as a much better option. The ducts can run along the interior walls and even be concealed in dropped ceilings or raised floors.

Call in the professionals to install a planned system of ducting around the house. For instance, they may suggest a sealed groove or chase in the attic to safeguard the ducts from losing precious energy. Apart from this, always ensure that furniture or other heavy objects are not blocking the registers in any manner.

Maintenance – The most highly efficient of systems also require proper care and maintenance to keep working at the optimum levels. Clean the furnace, blower and registers and check for cracks or leaks in the unit. Schedule thorough checks for leaks or blockages in the ducts on a regular basis.

In sum, a properly installed and maintained energy efficient furnace with proper ducting will allow you to stay comfortable indoors even while keeping a cap on the energy bills!

The author is a talented author and blogger who likes to share interesting tips and ideas about energy saving.Being an environment friendly person he emphasizes on using various eco-friendly energy efficient products.