For a gas furnace to receive the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR label for efficiency in Pennsylvania, it must score an AFUE rating (“annual fuel efficiency rating”) of 95% or greater. That means a furnace that wastes a mere 5% of its fuel source when creating heat. Not many furnaces can score that high… but with a special high-efficiency furnace, you can have an AFUE of 98%!
With a furnace that wastes that little fuel working to warm your house, you will receive tremendous savings off your energy bill. Although high-efficiency furnaces cost more to install than standard furnaces, they have a short payback period: the EPA estimates that a high-efficiency furnace will pay back its installation cost in 6–10 years. Since the average lifespan of a furnace in 20 years, you’ll have 10–14 years of savings ahead.
How does a high-efficiency furnace achieve this feat? We’ll explain in bit more detail. For additional information about your options for heating in Havertown, PA, call our staff at Wm. Henderson Plumbing & Heating Inc.
Hhigh-Efficiency Furnace Operation
The reason that a high-efficiency furnace wastes so little fuel creating heat is that it contains a second heat exchanger that converts what would normally be exhaust waste and uses it to provide additional heat.
A standard furnace contains a single heat exchanger. Combustion gas enters the exchanger, where it transfers its heat to the exchanger walls, and then to the air used for heating the house. The process leaves behind a liquid vapor, which vents to the outside through the exhaust flue. This energy is lost.
With a high-efficiency furnace, the vapor moves to the second heat exchanger, which then condenses the vapor (the reason these furnaces are sometimes called “condensing furnaces”), which results in the release of more heat. This heat transfers to the exchanger’s walls and helps raise the air temperature. The liquid from the condensation then drains out through a condensate line. The result is that even less energy is lost.
Call Us Today to Start Saving on Your Heating
Wm. Henderson Plumbing & Heating Inc. is a factory authorized dealer of high-efficiency Carrier furnaces that can provide astonishing savings over a long lifespan. When you want the most powerful and cost-effective heating in Havertown, PA that you can find, look no further than Wm. Henderson Plumbing & Heating Inc.