If you’ve decided that it’s the right time for a furnace replacement, a few factors will help you in making your decision. During this process, it’s important to carefully consider the purchase’s impact on your finances in the long run. Criteria including energy efficiency, type of furnace and age all can significantly affect how much money you end up spending in the future.

AFUE ratings are among the most important factors to consider. AFUE, or “annual fuel utilization efficiency,” measures how well a furnace can convert energy into actual heat for your home. The higher the AFUE number, the higher percentage of energy is being converted, and the less is going to waste. In essence, the higher the AFUE rating of the furnace you purchase, the less money you end up spending both now and in the future on monthly utility bills.

It’s also important to consider the different types of furnaces before you decide on your furnace replacement. High-efficiency furnaces will be be the most expensive initially, but due to their “sealed combustion” method of heating and AFUE ratings reaching as high as 98 percent, they end up being the cheapest to operate down the road. Slightly less modern, mid-efficiency furnaces are usually rated around 78-83 percent efficiency, and use an exhaust fan to control their heating. Lastly, low-efficiency furnaces utilize a pilot light and natural draft to heat your home, and never have AFUE ratings higher than 70 or 72 percent. The latter two options come with a lower price tag and may fit your needs now, a higher efficiency furnace will save you on heating costs and the investment comes with a higher price tag.

Keep these things in mind, and for any HVAC needs in the greater Denver metro area, contact us at Coffman and Companies (303-366-1112).

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

Coffman & Companies services the greater Denver area. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today! 

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