Are you looking into a new heating system for your Southern Maryland home? If so, you may be feeling a little stressed.
This is a major investment in your home’s comfort and value. The choice you make for your new furnace or boiler can also dramatically impact your heating costs.
Fortunately, you have Taylor on your side! We sell and install top-quality heating systems from respected manufacturers including American Standard, Luxaire, Bosch, and Lochinvar. Our trained and experienced equipment pros will help you find the right one for your home.
Once we install your new boiler or furnace, we’re still here for you with expert maintenance and repair service that will keep your furnace or boiler running at its best possible efficiency.
AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. This is a statistic that measures how efficient your heating system is. It’s comparable to the MPG rating on cars. The AFUE indicates how much fuel is used by your heating system in comparison to the amount of heat it generates throughout a year. A boiler or furnace’s faceplate typically has the AFUE printed on it.
The AFUE helps with comparison shopping when you’re choosing a new heating system for your home.
Here’s an example of how you’d use the AFUE if you’re shopping for a propane furnace. You see one that has an AFUE rating of 80. That means that 80% of the propane it consumes goes toward heating your house. The other 20% is lost in the combustion and conversion process. For every dollar you spend on propane, 80 cents of it is used for heating.
The United States Department of Energy has a guide on common AFUE ratings for heating systems. The current minimum AFUE standard for new heating systems is 80.
Low efficiency: This is mostly seen in older, outdated, and poorly maintained heating systems. The AFUE ratings fall between 56 and 70.
Medium efficiency: AFUE ratings are between 80 and 85. These are either new systems or older systems less than 20 years old. Features include an exhaust fan controlling the flow of combustion air and combustion gases more precisely than older, low-efficiency systems, electronic ignition and not a pilot light, smaller size and weight that reduces cycling losses, and a small-diameter flue pipe.
High efficiency: This is most seen in furnaces and boilers that are new or less than 10 years old. AFUE ratings are between 90 and 98.5. Their features include condensing flue gases in a second heat exchanger for added efficiency and sealed combustion.
Don’t go it alone at a big box store! Come to Taylor when it’s time for a new heating system at your home.