Natural gas furnaces have been around for a long time, and they’ve spent many decades at the top of the list of the most common types of heating systems in the U.S. There’s a reason for this continuing dominance: advances in technology have allowed gas furnaces to stay competitive as energy-efficient systems. Installing a gas furnace is still one of the best ways to provide warmth for a household while keeping utility bills under control.
The rise in energy efficiency in gas furnaces over the decades has been substantial. At one point, most gas furnaces only converted 60% of their fuel into thermal energy, leading to a waste of 40%. But modern ENERGY STAR-certified high efficiency furnaces can convert 97% of their energy into heat for a home. That means a substantial energy savings.
What advances and changes in furnaces allows for this improvement in energy conservation? Here are a few of them:
- More conductive heat exchangers: A heat exchanger transfers the heat from the combustion gas to the air from the blower. Newer heat exchangers are more effective at transferring this heat.
- Second heat exchanger: High efficiency condensing furnaces have a second heat exchanger which takes the exhaust vapor from the first and condenses it to generate even more heat. Older furnaces simply vent out this vapor and don’t receive any extra heat from it.
- Variable speed fans: Where standard furnaces have fans that only run at a single speed, variable-speed models can run the fan at a lower power. The fan changes its speed according to the needs of the house to conserve energy at slower speeds.
- Electronic ignition systems: Standing pilot lights are a drain on energy since they need to burn constantly through the entire season. The changeover to using an electronic igniter removes this waste.
Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. offers gas furnace services in Gulf Breeze, FL. Call today for new installation of a high-efficiency furnace.