If you are in the market for a new furnace, there are a few factors to consider – including size and installation – to ensure you choose the furnace that is right for your home, maintaining its reliability and life expectancy.
Ultimately, the reliability of your furnace depends on more than just the brand and price. Most contemporary furnaces that are sized correctly for your home, and installed by an experienced and certified technician, are quite reliable.
But when it’s time to choose a high-efficiency natural gas furnace, the options are sometimes confusing. So, to clear up some, here are five factors, other than size, to help you determine the best furnace for your home.
1. Furnace Efficiency
Efficiency rating works on a percent scale. And just like your old school marks, the higher the percent, the better. Shoot for an efficiency rating of 95% or higher, which means it’s also Energy Star certified. And, as is everyone’s goal with a high-efficiency furnace, you will save money on your energy bill.
2. Furnace Noise
There are few people who enjoy being jolted awake by the sound of their furnace kicking in. A variable speed high-efficiency natural gas furnace comes with noise-reducing technology that is quickly appreciated, especially by light sleepers.
3. Technology and Features
Innovative technology is one category to which you should pay close attention. Many modern brands set themselves apart from their competitors with advanced home heating systems. Some of these value-added features include built-in touch screen displays, monitoring systems with communicating capability technology to adjust your furnace, and remote-control access to your home heating system. This advanced technology allows homeowners to ensure that their furnace is performing efficiently, quietly and with perfect humidity control and responsive heating.
4. Warranty
Warranty is basically the manufacturer putting their money where their mouth is and indicates of how long you can expect your furnace to be covered in the event something goes wrong. You’ll want to ensure that your investment in a high-efficiency natural gas furnace is protected under warranty. Not only that, but you’ll want to follow any manufacturer warranty rules and regulations.
5. Cost
And finally, what’s typically one of the first questions homeowners ask: what’s the cost of a new high-efficiency natural gas furnace? The range in price of these furnaces vary because of several factors including the extra “nice” features, BTU needed to reliably and efficiently heat your home, plus installation diversity factors.
Something to also consider is that many models are off-shoots of a parent model (example?). This means that the main nuts and bolts of most models are the same or very similar across most brands. So, don’t be fooled into believing that a pricier model is the better choice.
WE AREN’T BLOWING HOT AIR
Educating yourself on the efficiency rating, features, warranty, quietness and price during your research will help you make an informed decision when you decide to invest in a high-efficiency natural gas furnace.
But equally as important is having a certified technician assess your home to ensure you choose the most appropriate furnace for you space and needs. A Sherwood Mechanical certified technician will let you know the best furnace size (BTU) for your home to ensure you have a reliable high-efficiency furnace, regardless of which brand you choose. Give us a call today to set up your free in-home furnace consultation.