{"id":21759,"date":"2022-10-10T03:42:11","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T01:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blinkx.com\/?p=21276"},"modified":"2022-10-10T03:42:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T01:42:11","slug":"natural-gas-furnace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessfinancenews.com\/uncategorized\/natural-gas-furnace\/","title":{"rendered":"Natural Gas Furnace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Natural gas furnaces are\u00a0one of the most popular heating options\u00a0for US homes. According to data gathered by the\u00a0US Census Bureau<\/a>, gas-fired heating systems are used by 48% of American households<\/p>\n\n\n\n Natural gas has a key advantage over other fuels like propane and heating oil: it arrives by pipe as a utility service, which means you don\u2019t have to worry about scheduled deliveries. With other heating fuels, you must plan these deliveries carefully to avoid running out during a cold winter day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for the most efficient gas furnaces, the best recommendation is to look for units with the ENERGY STAR label. The US Environmental Protection Agency created the ENERGY STAR program to help homeowners and businesses looking for the most efficient appliances and equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Energy consuming devices can only get the label after passing rigorous performance tests, in federally approved laboratories that are completely independent from manufacturers and vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here we will provide an overview of the most efficient gas furnaces you can find in 2022 and 2023, but first we will discuss the metric used to describe their energy performance \u2013 the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or AFUE.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before purchasing any piece of equipment that uses energy, having an idea of consumption and operating costs is helpful. However, many different technologies are used for\u00a0space heating and air conditioning, and we need a suitable performance metric for each type of system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of furnaces and boilers, the metric used to describe performance is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The AFUE is exactly what its name implies \u2013 a numerical value that tells the percentage of fuel energy that is converted into useful heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a gas furnace with a high AFUE is especially useful now since natural gas prices have increased sharply. According to official US inflation data<\/a>, the price of piped natural gas delivered as a utility service increased by 33%<\/strong> in the 12-month period between August 2021 and August 2022. This means the operating cost of a natural gas furnace is around 33% higher compared to last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Average Cost To Install a Warm Air Furnace Typical Range: $3,840 – $5,570<\/p>\n\n\n\n See costs in your area<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ENERGY STAR program has minimum AFUE requirements for gas furnaces<\/a>, which vary depending on their type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their website has a list of states that are considered \u201cUS South\u201d and \u201cUS North\u201d, so you can tell which of the minimum AFUE requirements applies in your location. Keep in mind this distinction is only for natural gas furnaces \u2013 oil furnaces are subject to the same AFUE requirement throughout the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure about the ENERGY STAR label on a gas furnace, you can look for the brand and model on their website. If the label is counterfeit, you will not find that specific product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know?<\/strong> Old furnaces typically have an AFUE of less than 70%, or even less than 60% in many cases. By upgrading to a newer unit with an AFUE of 90% or above, you can cut gas consumption by more than one-third, while getting the same heating effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assume you replace a 60,000 BTU\/h furnace having 60% AFUE, with a newer unit of the same capacity and 95% AFUE. Previously, this furnace would have required a natural gas input of 100,000 BTU\/h to deliver its rated output (60,000 BTU\/h), but now it only needs 63,158 BTU\/h.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re still getting the 60,000 BTU\/h of required heating output, but the energy input has been reduced by 36,842 BTU\/h. Considering the average energy content of 1,037 BTU per cubic feet, the hourly gas consumption of both furnaces would be the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Gas Furnaces?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Saving Gas with a High AFUE Furnace: A Quick Example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n