Learn About Your Furnace’s Fuel Efficiency Rating

Does your Powhatan, VA home have a furnace? If it does, understanding the fuel efficiency rating or annual fuel utilization efficiency is important. If your furnace has a low rating, your unit could be costing you an arm and a leg. While furnace repair services can sometimes restore some fuel efficiency, the best way to significantly improve it is to upgrade to a newer model.

What Is a Fuel Efficiency Rating?

The U.S. Department of Energy started establishing standards for the energy efficiency of household appliances in 1987. This effort was part of the National Appliance and Energy Conservation Act. The AFUE rating for furnaces is part of this act.

Thankfully, the AFUE rating is pretty easy to understand. When buying a furnace, you’ll see an AFUE percentage. Typically, these numbers run from 56% to 98%. The higher the percentage is, the more energy that the unit converts to heat for your home.

Let’s say that you buy a new furnace with a fuel efficiency rating of 80%. This means that 80% of the energy that your furnace consumes is converted to heat for your home. Thus, you want to focus on buying furnaces that have a high rating.

What Rating Should You Aim For?

If you’re replacing an aging furnace, you’ll want to buy a new one with a high AFUE rating. For example, an AFUE between 56% and 70% is considered to be extremely inefficient. Instead, you might want to aim for a furnace that has a rating between 90% and 98%. The DOE considers furnaces with such ratings to be highly efficient.

Let Classic Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning Replace Your Furnace

Do you have an aging furnace that needs to be replaced? Call Classic Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning. We proudly serve Powhatan, Virginia, and the surrounding area. We offer a number of HVAC services, including furnace repair and replacement. Contact us today to learn more about our furnace replacement services.