ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Furnaces’

Furnace FAQ: How does a furnace Qualify as an Energy Star Furnace?

Monday, April 8th, 2013

You rely on your furnace to provide warmth and comfort throughout the heating season. Whether you’re in the market for a new furnace or furnace replacement, or are just curious, you probably have come across the Energy Star rating system. If a furnace has the Energy Star logo somewhere on its surface, then it meets the energy efficiency standards as determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of Energy Star is to reduce the impact of our heating and cooling systems on the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While it seems like a good thing (and it is), you might also be wondering how your furnace qualifies as an Energy Star furnace. In this post, we’d like to explain the rating. For a furnace service, call ACI Northwest today!

While different residential furnace efficiency standards exist throughout the country, the current standard for Energy Star furnaces in the Spokane area is 95% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). This percentage measures the amount of heating output against the amount of energy input over the course of an entire year. It is the standard measurement for most heating systems. Energy Star gas furnaces must possess this standard (or higher), although oil-based furnaces currently require only 85% AFUE to be rated.

The EPA chooses products according to several principles. For example, qualifying furnaces must not only be energy efficient, but must also fulfil the consumer demand for performance and features. Thus, it is not energy efficiency for its own sake, but in order to make sure that performance and efficiency go hand-in-hand. Moreover, the Energy Star program believes that product testing is an important part of sustaining environmentally friendly manufacturing, and that the technology behind energy efficiency should be widely available and non-proprietary. The labelling system is intended to create easy targets for energy-conscious consumers. The purpose of Energy Star is to promote the production of energy-efficient products.

If you’re in the market for a new furnace, consider selecting an Energy Star rated furnace, so you know it will perform efficiently and effectively for years to come. For heating service, call the experts at ACI Northwest today!

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FAQ: Why Is There a Delay on My Gas Furnace Ignition?

Monday, December 10th, 2012

If there’s a delay on the ignition for the gas furnace in your Coeur d’Alene home, call ACI Northwest, Inc. There could be another hidden issue, or even a safety concern. Here are a few reasons you could be having this problem.

A delayed ignition could mean that the gas is not getting to the burners soon enough. Because the excess gas can collect in the chamber, it can cause a flashing flame that can be very hot and dangerous.  One way to tell if you have a delayed ignition is by listening for unusual or loud noises after you turn on the furnace. It could be the unburned gas that has built up in the chamber igniting and causing a small explosion sound. This could lead to a fire or other hazard if left unresolved.

Your igniter could be broken, or there could be a clogged burner causing the problem. This is why it’s important to call a repair technician to pinpoint the source of the problem. Once that is established, you can help prevent it from happening in the future once the technician fixes the problem.

If you aren’t sure whether or not you have a delayed gas furnace ignition, call Coeur d’Alene heating technicians at ACI Northwest, Inc. any time. We are always on call for emergency repairs, and we’ll send someone to your home as soon as we can to get your gas furnace working properly again.

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Heating Tip: Why an Oversized Furnace Will Not Perform Better

Monday, November 19th, 2012

Are you considering a new furnace for your Spokane area home? Call ACI Northwest Inc. to help you select the right size and install it for you. Many contractors will try to sell you an oversized furnace and tell you that it will heat your home better; however, the opposite will occur for many reasons. Not only will you not get better performance, but you could also damage the system or make it less efficient, which means you won’t get the most out of your new investment.

Here are some reasons why an oversized furnace will not perform better than one that is the appropriate size for your home and heating needs.

First, a furnace that produces more BTUs than what you need to heat your home will use up more energy to heat a space that is too small for the output. Secondly, if your ductwork isn’t large enough to deliver the heat with the right amount of airflow, it can set off the limit switch. Constantly tripping the limit switch will needlessly shut down the furnace, and can shorten the life of the system. Lastly, you may need to replace the heat exchanger sooner than is necessary, and this is not a minor cost in the grand scheme of furnace repair or replacement needs.

If you aren’t sure what size furnace you need, call a heating contractor you can trust to help determine how many BTUs you need to properly heat your home. This will depend on the size of your home, where it is located, how much sunlight you get in the winter, and many other factors, including the condition of your ductwork and other components.

The heating experts at ACI Northwest can help you choose the correct size furnace for your heating needs and your particular home. We have many years of experience in this business, and we want to help all of our customers get the best solutions to all their heating needs. Call us any time if you have questions about furnace size and output.

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Heating Question: What is AFUE and Why Should I Care?

Monday, September 17th, 2012

There are quite a few numbers attached to the components of your home’s heating system. One number that you’ll see a lot when looking for a new home heating system is AFUE. Used to describe the efficiency of gas furnaces, AFUE is an important measurement that can affect both the cost of installation and the cost of operating your furnace over time.

What AFUE Means

AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency and refers to how much fuel a device consumes per year compared to how much heat it produces in that same period of time. This is often averaged over the course of a full  year to account for extreme conditions.

Effectively, what AFUE measures is the percentage of fuel consumed by your furnace that is converted into heat. So, if your furnace burns 1 therm of natural gas, how much heat energy is produced from that combustion? The closer it gets to 1 therm of energy, the higher the percentage.

How Much AFUE Is Good?

Modern furnaces range between 80% AFUE and 98% AFUE. The lowest legally allowed furnaces on the market carry a rating of 80% which is still quite good if you consider that most systems build in the 1970s and 1980s have ratings below 70%. So, if you have an older system in your Spokane home, you can almost guarantee that even the most basic replacement furnace will save you money on your heating bills.

At the same time, if you can afford the top of the line, today’s high end gas furnaces offer near perfect conversion of fuel into heat, with exceptional 97% and 98% AFUE ratings. These devices cost more to install, but the lifetime savings on your energy bills are such that they are often well worth paying that higher installation cost for. In fact, they often pay for themselves in 10 years or less, making them a good fit for anyone eager to cut their heating bills by as much as possible.

If you’re looking to upgrade your furnace, give ACI Northwest a call today! Our heating technicians are experts in furnace installation and repair.

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Heating Installation Guide: What to Expect in a Low, Medium or High Efficiency Furnace

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

When buying a new furnace in Deer Park, you have many options. You can purchase a low end model to save money up front and you’ll still get exceptional fuel efficiency, but as you go up the scale, more innovative, money saving features become available. Here is a brief look at what you can expect based on which type of furnace you purchase.

Low Efficiency Furnace

This is a bit of a misnomer as even entry level furnaces have efficiency ratings of at least 80%. For comparison, if you’re still using an old gravity furnace, your efficiency rating could be lower than 50%. Modern furnaces are built to conserve, and while you won’t receive all of the bells and whistles that tend to accompany high efficiency models, you will get a durable, affordable furnace that will last a long time.

Medium Efficiency Furnaces

Furnaces in the mid-efficiency range have AFUE ratings of between 85% and 92% and are therefore significantly better than those in the entry level range. They also have some of the higher end features available in high efficiency models like programmability and the option for zone control. Because they are still mid-range, they are affordable without skimping too much on features too – a must for any homeowner wanting to save money on both ends.

High Efficiency Furnaces

The highest efficiency furnaces on the market are very different from those you would have purchased even just 10 years ago. Top end furnaces can carry AFUE ratings of up to 95% with a boat load of added features to conserve energy. These features include two stage gas valves so you can maintain a low BTU heating system for most of the year but crank up the heat when the temperature outside drops too low. They are also programmable, which allows you to easily change the temperature settings, fan speed and more from anywhere in the house.

And while they cost more to install, high efficiency furnaces use less energy over their lifespan, last longer and are more environmentally friendly than any other furnaces on the market in Deer Park today.

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Question from Cocolalla: What Makes a Furnace High Efficiency?

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

You’ve probably heard in Cocolalla about the new lines of high efficiency furnaces being released by popular home heating companies, but what exactly is different about these high efficiency devices from your current furnace? Let’s take a closer look at what a high efficiency furnace offers and why it can save you money.

Added Features

A high efficiency furnace uses familiar technology in a new way to reduce the amount of energy lost when combustion takes place. This means:

  • Sealed Combustion – Instead of open combustion which allows heat to escape during and after the combustion process, a high efficiency furnace uses a sealed chamber with carefully measured and fed airflow to burn fuel and produce heat. Exhaust heat can then be recaptured and used to heat air transferred to your air vents.
  • Two Stage Gas Valves – With a two stage gas valve, your furnace can respond to the temperature outside. There isn’t just one “on” switch. The furnace will regulate gas flow based on how much energy is needed to produce heat for your home. So, if there is a sudden burst of cold outside, the furnace will respond accordingly, but for most days when heating needs are low, it will use only the minimum amount of needed gas.
  • Programmable – High efficiency furnaces are now programmable, meaning you can set specific time limits for operation, change thermostat settings digitally and inspect the device through an electronic read out. The level of control given to you by a programmable high efficiency furnace can greatly reduce gas or electricity consumption.

Cost Benefit

The real reason many people are interested in high efficiency furnaces is that they are so much less expensive to operate. Instead of costing hundreds of dollars to run through the winter, they operate the bare minimum needed to heat your home. Using up to 95% of the fuel they consume to produce heat and regulating gas to cut how much is consumed during milder days, these furnaces are built to save you money.

If you have an old furnace that chews through energy like nobody’s business, now might be the time to consider the benefits of a brand new, high efficiency model.

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Pros and Cons of Various Heating Systems in Worley

Monday, December 12th, 2011

When it comes time to install a new heating system in your Worley home, there are a lot of options to consider. Many people get overwhelmed when confronted with all of the furnaces, boilers and heat pumps on the market these days. So, to help you get a handle on what each has to offer and which will offer you the best benefits, here is an overview of the modern heating system market.

Furnaces

Furnaces are the core of a forced air heating system and use gas, oil or electricity to heat air which is then circulated through your home by a blower in your air handler. Furnaces are among the most fuel efficient heating systems on the market today with options available at up to 95% AFUE (meaning it uses up to 95% of the fuel consumed to produce heat). They are also inexpensive to install and while they don’t last quite as long as boilers, they are highly efficient when well cared for.

Boilers

Boilers use gas, oil or electricity to heat water or steam which is then circulated through your home into radiators or baseboard heaters. The heated water or steam releases heat into your home and heats it in turn. While not quite as energy efficient as a high efficiency furnace, boiler heat is perfect for homes with existing radiators and no room for vents and ductwork. It also has less of an impact on indoor air quality since there is no air movement and boilers tend to last a very long time when well maintained.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular, especially in milder climates where it rarely gets below 40 degrees F. A heat pump uses the same technology as an air conditioner to extract heat from outside using a compressor, evaporator coils, and condenser coils with refrigerant.

It is most efficient in the spring and fall when temperatures are mild, but it uses much less energy than either a boiler or furnace and it can be used in the summer to cool your home. When properly maintained, a heat pump will last 10-20 years and save quite a bit of money, though it is recommended that you have an emergency heat source for days when the temperature outside gets below 40 degrees F.

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What Size Furnace is Right for My Home? A Question from Pinehurst

Friday, November 11th, 2011

When it comes to your Pinehurst home’s heating equipment, the right size is very important. If your furnace is sized correctly, you will enjoy a high level of indoor comfort. However, an incorrectly sized furnace may result in many cold spots in your home, an overworked furnace, or higher utility bills.

An undersized furnace will turn off and on frequently, which is called short cycling. Short cycling can lead to moisture in the system, causing less efficiency and damage to equipment from accumulating moisture in the heating system. The constant cycling adds to wear and tear on equipment, too. An oversized furnace may not be able to keep up with the demand for heat during the coldest days. The furnace may be constantly running and unable to keep up – adding to higher utility costs. So size really does matter when it comes to selecting the right heating equipment for your home.

But a big furnace does not mean it is right-sized. Have you ever seen a “five-way” gravity furnace? It was manufactured in the mid-1900’s and took up a lot of room – as much as half of a basement – while being extremely inefficient. The key here is efficiency. A furnace that works right is sized to the space it is heating, which does not include attics, crawlspaces, or uninsulated rooms (porches, mud rooms, etc.).

A furnace must make efficient use of its Btu’s, which is abbreviated for British thermal unit. Btu is used to measure a furnace size. Furnaces are often rated by input Btu, which is the amount of energy consumed when running. The output Btu may be different based on the system. And output Btu is the best way to select a furnace, since this is the actual heating capacity.

When sizing a furnace, the first thing to do is to determine the inside space that will be heated. If you are looking to heat your home, you can measure the square footage of each room (multiply width by length). The rooms should include bathrooms and hallways but exclude attics and crawlspaces. Add up the totals and match up the Btu output to the total square footage. If you aren’t sure of your calculations, call a qualified heating and cooling contractor.

There are many factors that go into heating a home and today’s energy efficient furnaces give homeowners many more choices. Whatever furnace you choose to purchase, make sure you do your homework and hire a qualified professional HVAC contractor to determine the best size furnace for your home.

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How Much Will a High Efficiency Furnace Save Me? A Question from Kootenai

Friday, October 14th, 2011

The furnaces you can buy these days in Kootenai are all much more energy efficient than those available even 10 years ago. However, that doesn’t mean that all of the current models are created equal. There is still a pretty big variation when it comes to energy efficiency and when it comes to price, so you need to really know what you’re looking for if you want to get the best deal out there.

The first thing you should understand when you’re trying to pick out a furnace is how energy efficiency for this type of equipment it measured. All furnaces come with an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating that reflects just exactly how energy efficient they are.

Any furnace you buy today will have an AFUE of at least 80%, but it’s possible to purchase models with AFUEs of 97% or more. Of course, energy efficiency is generally a good thing, but there are some other things to consider when you’re trying to decide just how energy efficient you need your new furnace to be.

What this calculation really comes down to is how much you’ll be able to save monthly and annually with a higher efficiency furnace. While your heating bills will certainly be lower the higher the furnace’s efficiency is, you will also pay more up front for the highest efficiency models.

This higher purchase price may be worth it, however, if you live in an area with particularly harsh winters. If your heating load is very high and you’ll be using your furnace a lot, your monthly savings will make up for the higher initial price of the high efficiency furnace in a reasonable amount of time.

However, if you live in an area with relatively mild winters and you won’t be demanding a whole lot of your furnace, then the amount you’ll save each month with the highest efficiency models really won’t add up to much.

Keep in mind that a furnace with an 80% AFUE is still quite efficient and will almost certainly save you a considerable amount monthly when compared to the unit you’re currently using.

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What Is Forced Air Heating? A Question From Cocolalla

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Chances are that you’ve heard the term forced air heating in Cocolalla before, particularly if you’re in the market for a new home heating system. But what does that actually mean? The truth is that if you’re asking this question, you’re not alone. There are so many types of home heating systems out there that it’s common to be a bit confused and overwhelmed by it all.

The truth is that a forced air heating system is simply a heating system that distributes heat throughout your house using air to carry it. In this type of system, heated air travels through a system of ducts and is expelled through vents into the different rooms and areas of your home in order to maintain a particular temperature. That temperature, of course, is whatever you set your thermostat to, and when the desired temperature is reached, the heat will shut off until the temperature drops down again.

The main difference between the different types of forced air heating systems is the type of equipment that heats the air. For instance, you could have a gas furnace or a heat pump. Both of these are capable of heating air, and when paired with a fan, blower or air handler, can distribute heated air throughout your home.

Many forced air heating systems are remarkably energy efficient and can effectively keep you home comfortable all winter long. Additionally, they are generally made to be incorporated with central air conditioning systems for year round temperature control. Heat pumps are especially convenient in this way, as they’re able to both heat and cool your home depending on the season and your home comfort needs.

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