Do you need a new heating system but feel overwhelmed choosing from all the furnaces? Paragon Heating and Home Comfort Solutions makes the process stress-free and always helps you find the perfect size and type. Keep reading to discover eight strategies for choosing the best furnace.
8 Tips for Choosing the Best Furnace for Your Home
By considering just eight essential factors, you can choose a furnace that helps you obtain the highest comfort level for your home.
1. Prioritize High Efficiency
Which would you rather have: short-term or long-term savings? When you prioritize an energy-efficient furnace, you’ll invest more upfront but obtain incredible savings over the furnace’s lifespan.
What makes for a high-efficiency heating system? It uses less fuel to heat your home to the temperature you set on your thermostat. No matter what type of fuel you choose, you’ll spend less money heating your home.
Do you want to increase your savings even more? The United States Department of Energy suggests you set your thermostat to 68 degrees.
2. Choose the Right Fuel Type
You can choose from electric, oil, and natural gas furnaces. Each has its pros and cons, including:
- Electric: An electric furnace runs efficiently and requires a smaller upfront investment. However, electricity costs more than other fuels.
- Oil combustion: These furnaces have lower efficiency and require a storage tank for the fuel.
- Natural gas: You won’t find a more efficient heating source, and gas offers the lowest fuel price. You’ll pay more to install the furnace.
3. Seek Advice About Size and Capacity
When you’re choosing furnaces, the size and capacity are among the most important considerations. An undersized furnace can’t adequately heat your home. An oversized furnace wastes money because you’re paying for fuel you don’t need, along with potential issues with overheating due to lack of airflow.
What size furnace do you need? A one-bedroom home may require a BTU rating of around 30,000, whereas, a home with four or more bedrooms could require up to 150,000 BTUs.
What else determines what size furnace you need?
- Ceiling height
- The age of your home
- Number of windows
- Climate and insulation
4. Consider Climate and Insulation Quality
How do climate and insulation affect the size of furnace you need? If you live in an area where winters drop below freezing, your furnace will have a harder time keeping up. A larger and more efficient furnace gives you the best chance of staying warm when the temperature drops below zero.
A cold-climate home with good insulation may require a smaller furnace than a warmer climate with poor insulation. When you have inadequate insulation, it increases unwanted ventilation in your home. Your hot air will escape through your windows, doors, and attic, so you’ll pay more to heat your home.
Before you install a new furnace, consider upgrading your insulation. You’ll save significant money in the long term and pay for a smaller furnace.
5. Invest in a Variable-Speed Blower
A variable speed blower can adjust how fast the fan blows based on your needs. If you need faster heating, it increases power, while it slows down if you’re maintaining your current temperature. Variable-speed blowers increase your device’s energy efficiency and distribute the air more evenly throughout your home.
6. Opt for Air Quality Accessories
When you add accessories like humidifiers or air purifiers, you obtain more than just increased comfort. Poor indoor air quality can force you to make more repairs to your furnace and can decrease its life expectancy. It also puts you at risk of more health complications and higher medical expenses.
7. Consider a Zoning System
What is a zoning system? It lets you designate areas in your home where you can set a different temperature. They increase energy efficiency because you won’t spend money heating rooms you seldom use.
8. Factor in Maintenance Requirements
While you should schedule maintenance for every furnace once a year, some require more work than others. For example, maintaining an oil furnace costs more than electric and gas models. You’ll also have to clean an oil furnace more because it produces significant soot.
Schedule a Consultation for Furnace Installation Today
Now that you know everything about choosing furnaces, Paragon Heating and Home Comfort Solutions can help you examine your options. We work tirelessly to provide the best service and highest-quality products. We can’t wait to make you our next satisfied customer.
To book an appointment, call (425) 312-6341.