Make Sure You Know How to Get the Best Furnace For You!

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As winter approaches, one of the most important things in your home is your heating system. Before you buy your next system, make sure you’re getting the best furnace that ideally suited for your specific needs as well as our mild Dallas winters.

Selecting the right furnace may result in you saving money during the winter or spending more than you should. That’s why Barbosa Mechanical’s heating technicians have have compiled a list of seven of the most important things to consider before choosing a heater for your home.

1. Fuel Source: Furnaces & More!

There are a few important things you should know about oil, gas or electric heating units.

• Natural gas heaters are the most economical systems when operating at below freezing temperatures.
• Oil or propane furnaces provide powerful heat, but take up more storage room, and can be more costly to run.
• An electric furnace is a viable choice, but may cost more to operate overall.

2. Fuel Efficiency Ratings of a Furnace

Fuel efficiency of a furnace is known as the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating, or an AFUE rating. These ratings can be found on all new furnaces written on an EnergyGuide yellow label. The Federal Trade Commision requires this label, which lists the estimated yearly operating costs for specific parameters and can be used to compare different furnaces.

These AFUE rating scale from 80 percent and 98.5 percent. This percent represents the furnace’s ratio of fossil fuel that is turned into available heat annually. The better that a furnace performs, the higher its AFUE percentage rating.

3. Types of Speed Blowers

The two types of blower units are fixed-speed blowers and variable-speed blowers. The Variable speed blower will work more efficiently, as they base their rate of air distribution speed throughout your home. This varying speed will keep the temperature in your home consistent.

4. Sizing of Your System Matters

It is important that the size of your system works to the space of your home specifically. A professional can come to your home and use the measurements of your home, square footage, window efficiency and more to calculate the size of the system you need. Having a correctly sized system ensures proper heating throughout your home and lengthens the lifetime and efficiency of your system.

5. Incentives and Rebates

High efficiency systems may qualify for utility incentives or rebates in your area, which may translate into money back in your wallet. A professional contractor can let you know which rebates and incentives your furnace qualifies for.

• In the southern part of the United States, certified gas furnaces can work 11 percent more efficiently than normal models and may save you $27 in energy costs yearly on average. These furnaces will be labeled with a U.S. South ENERGY STAR Logo.
• Certified oil furnaces can work 4 percent more efficiently than normal models and may save you $66 annually in energy costs on average.
• ENERGY STAR ratings are for products which adhere to efficiency parameters laid forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Using ENERGY STAR appliances can enhance your home comfort while saving you energy bill costs.

If you need help selecting the best furnace for your Dallas home, or you’re ready to buy today, make sure to give Barbosa Plumbing & Air Conditioning a call for help.

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