Ready for a New Furnace? Read This!

Winter wonderlands belong outside, not taking up the comfort of your home. When your furnace struggles to maintain a comfortable temperature, it might be because:

1. It’s old and needs to be replaced
2. It’s not powerful enough to keep up with your home’s square footage
3. There’s an issue with your ductwork or thermostat

While that last problem can be fixed with some maintenance and repair work, the first two issues are a different matter. Whether your furnace is aging out or if it never had the strength to heat your home in the first place, we invite you to explore our Choosing a New Furnace Guide in Lafayette, IN, to select the right one for you!

Furnace Types

First, you need to decide which kind of furnace you want. Each has its own pros and cons:

Electric Furnace

Pros: No possibility of carbon monoxide buildup; no need for gas/oil/propane; more environmentally friendly.

Cons: Less efficient than other types; can be expensive to heat your home

Oil Furnace

Pros: Fast heating

Cons: Requires an oil tank; most likely buried underground; needs maintenance to avoid fire hazards or dangerous gases

Natural Gas Furnace

Pros: Affordable

Cons: Less efficient than propane; produces toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, requiring a flue; needs more routine maintenance to operate safely than other furnaces

Propane

Pros: Doesn’t require a flue; more efficient than natural gas

Cons: Requires a holding tank and a vent to the outside

Furnace Size

Perhaps the most important part of this Choosing a New Furnace Guide in Lafayette, IN, is the size of your chosen furnace. For optimal efficiency, you need a “Goldilocks” furnace: One that’s not too small and not too big. If the furnace is too small, it won’t provide enough heat and will run all the time. If it’s too big, it will constantly switch on and off, causing excessive wear and tear. 

Furnace Efficiency

Gas furnaces use the annual fuel-utilization-efficiency (AFUE) rating system, which rates furnace efficiency by percentage. The higher the percentage, the more efficient the furnace. 

All new gas furnaces must be at least 78% efficient, and they must be 90% efficient to qualify for an ENERGY STAR label. Many newer gas furnaces carry ratings of 95% and higher, and electric furnaces have AFUE ratings of 100% since they convert electricity directly to heat.

Choosing a New Furnace Guide in Lafayette, IN? Contact Comfort Mechanical Heating and Air Conditioning!

Make the right choice for your new furnace by contacting Comfort Mechanical Heating and Air Conditioning today. We’ll help you choose your new furnace so you can be toasty all winter long!