|
Environmental
|
Residential Air Conditioning & Heating
|
Carrier Infinity® 96 Gas Furnace
- 96.6% AFUE
- QuiTech™ noise reduction
- ComfortHeat™ technology
www.EnergyStar.gov
The ENERGY STAR label identifies products that meet EPA standards for energy efficiency. The minimum efficiency rating for furnaces it is 90 AFUE.
Services:
- System Replacement
- Converting to Gas
- Maintenance
- System Repair
- Seasonal Tips
- Choosing a Contractor
- Product Brochures
About ESA:
Advanced Technology for Advanced Comfort.
New Gas Furnace Technology
The improvements in furnaces have increased dramatically since the installation of the original furnaces in homes in our area twenty to thirty years ago. Manufacturers have made great strides in the areas of efficiency, safety, and comfort.
Efficiency
Most of the older furnaces in Howard County (installed in the 1970’s and early 1980’s) had an AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) of about 60%. This figure, like MPG in cars, indicates how efficiently your furnace uses the fuel that it consumes – the higher number, the better. Today’s Federal mandated minimum is 78.5% and some furnaces have efficiencies as high as 96% AFUE.
Safety
Today’s furnaces are built to operate more safely. There are numerous safety devices that prevent the equipment from coming on unless all components are functioning normally. There must be adequate air flow across the heat exchanger, the pilot must be lit, and all service access panels must be securely in place before power and gas will be supplied to the unit.
Comfort
One of the common features available on furnaces is two-stage heat. This feature enables the furnace to change its output depending on demand from the thermostat. Older furnaces would only perform at one output level and on milder days this would cause the furnace to “short cycle”. The most comfortable furnace operation occurs when heat is replaced in the house as evenly as it is lost – that way the temperature remains at a constant without big temperature swings. When the furnace operates at “low-fire”, the fan motor will also run at slower speed, ensuring warm delivery temperatures and quieter operation.
Today’s equipment also has variable speed motors as an option. These motors can perform under a wide variety of output requirements, depending on what the furnace is being tasked to do— high-fire, low-fire, cooling or to simply circulate air through the living space. These motors also use about 25% of the electricity that standard PSC fan motors use during operation.
Consult With Your Contractor
Whenever you are considering the replacement of a piece of equipment, it is important to call us ahead of time for an assessment of your installation requirements. Local codes have very specific requirements for the venting of gas furnaces. Furnaces also have combustion air requirements that were largely ignored twenty years ago but that are now critical to the safe operation of today's equipment. We are happy to give you a free, no obligation proposal to solve your heating needs.
