With winter weather in full swing, you need a furnace that will keep your home warm and comfortable, but keeping your home warm can be costly. How can you stay warm all winter without spending thousands of dollars on your heating bill? Cates Heating and Cooling in Lenexa, Kansas, has the answer for you: high-efficiency furnaces.

High-efficiency furnaces have numerous benefits, and with even colder weather on the way, it might be time to replace your old furnace with a high-efficiency model.

What is a High-Efficiency Furnace?

High-efficiency furnaces are fairly new, and if your furnace hasn’t been replaced in the last ten years, you don’t have a high-efficiency furnace in your home. If you are unsure of whether or not you already have a high-efficiency furnace, you will need to check its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. The higher the rating, the more efficient your furnace is.

For a furnace to be considered high-efficiency, it must be given an efficiency or AFUE rating of 90% or higher. Most furnaces are only about 60 to 80% efficient, which means that they waste a lot of energy as they pump out warm air. Some high-efficiency furnaces are up to 98.5% efficient, so they waste very little energy.

If you can’t find the AFUE rating and still don’t know if you have a high-efficiency furnace or not, another tip is to look at the pipes. Are the pipes made out of PVC or metal? PVC pipes are used on most high-efficiency furnaces, while older models typically used metal pipes.

Benefits of a High-Efficiency Furnace

• Money savings

While a high-efficiency furnace has higher up-front costs than a standard furnace, the money you will save over the life of the furnace makes it worth it. In fact, a furnace with a 95% AFUE rating saves an average of 33% in energy consumption when compared to a furnace with a 60% AFUE rating.

The more efficient your system is, the more money you save. If you look at AFUE ratings in terms of dollars, a furnace with a score of 95% will waste five cents of every dollar spent, while a system with a 60% AFUE rating wastes 40 cents of each dollar. Potential savings with an energy efficient system can be up to 30%.

You also use less fuel, which will save you money on the basic operation of the furnace. Strangely enough, the more efficient blower motor on a high-efficiency furnace can also help lower air conditioning bills in the summer.

• Programmable thermostats

Instead of being an additional cost, programmable thermostats typically come with the purchase of a high-efficiency furnace. A programmable thermostat gives you control over the air in your home unlike you have ever experienced before. Many of these thermostats allow you to control temperatures in specific rooms of your home and program temperatures to change at specific times.

• More even heating

High-efficiency furnaces contain variable-speed fans that more evenly distribute heat throughout your home, so you don’t end up with rooms that are too hot while others are too cold. These furnaces are also better able to maintain a consistent temperature.

• Better air quality

Better airflow means that these furnaces are also better able to remove impurities in the air inside your home and prevent mold. The upgraded filtration system is to thank for better air in your home. Also, since high-efficiency furnaces use sealed combustion chambers, they don’t bring drier outside air into your home.

• Rebate and incentive offers

When you purchase a high-efficiency furnace, you may become eligible for local, state, and manufacturer rebates or incentives. Even your energy company may provide you with a rebate for switching over to a more energy efficient furnace. Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency website and various manufacturer websites to see if you can receive a rebate. Call your energy provider to see if they offer rebates.

• Quieter

The noise associated with a high-efficiency furnace is much lower than a traditional furnace due to the high-tech sound absorbing materials used in these newer furnaces. Noise is almost non-existent with these furnaces.

• Longer life

Since these systems cycle on and off less frequently than older furnaces, they typically need fewer repairs and last longer than lower efficiency furnaces.

• Environmentally-friendly

Another reason to invest in a high-efficiency furnace for your home is that it is better for the environment, because these furnaces use one-third less fuel than older models.

Installing a High-Efficiency Furnace

Having a professional install your new high-efficiency furnace prevents critical mistakes that could cause damage to the furnace. Cates Heating and Cooling recommends professional installation for all HVAC systems, but especially a high-efficiency furnace, as they tend to be expensive, and damage could render the furnace completely useless.

No matter the season, having a high-efficiency furnace installed is a great way to save money over the long-term, so Cates recommends a switch over as soon as you are ready.

Find a trusted HVAC service company to come to your home to install the new furnace. If you live in the Kansas City Metro Area, Cates Heating and Cooling can install your new high-efficiency furnace for you. To set up a consultation or appointment, call Cates today at 913-888-4470. With over 40 years of experience servicing and installing HVAC systems in Kansas City homes, we are a trusted partner in your HVAC needs. Cates Heating and Cooling also offers 24 hour a day, seven day a week emergency services for any time your heater stops working at the least convenient time of day.