Furnace Replacement: A Complete Guide To Find The Furnace for You

Upgrading furnaces is not as simple as installing the newest version of your existing model. Furnace technology has come a long way in the past couple decades, with major improvements in energy efficiency and more uniform heat delivery. The main factors to evaluate when researching furnaces are their size, efficiency rating and features.

Proper Furnace Sizing

Do not assume that your existing furnace is properly sized, because chances are it’s not. Oversizing was a relatively common practice that results in inefficiency and unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment. Even if your furnace was the right size when it was installed, your home’s heating load may have changed since then. Ask your contractor to perform a Manual J load calculation to determine the appropriate size for your new furnace. To do this, they will analyze factors such as:

• Local climate data
• The size of your home
• The layout of your home
• How tightly sealed your home is
• What size and type of windows you have

Evaluate Efficiency Ratings

Comparing the efficiency ratings of different furnaces will allow you to select an efficiency level that is right for your home. Because northeast Ohio can have fairly harsh and cold winters, a furnace with a higher efficiency rating is typically worth the additional initial expense. Although the purchase price may be higher, your monthly bills will be lower with a higher efficiency unit, making the lifetime costs of your new heating system lower.

Advanced Furnace Features

Look for features such as:

• Variable-speed blower motor
• Variable heat output
• Advanced air filtration technology
• An ignition system rather than a pilot light
• Dual heat exchanger

All of these features improve both energy efficiency and home comfort. Safety features such as a dual heat exchanger and ignition system also help protect your family.

If you live in the greater Cleveland area and are researching new furnaces, call the experts at Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric. We can help you design a heating system that matches the specific needs of your home, your budget and your ongoing energy efficiency preferences. Call us today to schedule a consultation.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about furnace replacement and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Stack Heating services Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our special offers and get started today!