FURNACE BUYING TIPS
FURNACE BUYING TIPS
comfortable than the old one you had for so long. Older (50+) furnaces, had motors that were primarily belt driven, and stayed relatively quiet. However with today's modern furnaces, blowers are motor driven which can sometime be quite noisy. Older gravity furnaces had very few moving parts, while modern furnaces have many components that can eventually squeek, bang, thump, or contribute to noise levels.
A new furnace is a major investment which will last for decades, in most cases it will outlast your car. With all the
money you'll be spending, the biggest disappointment is when after installation you find out your furnace makes your home sound like a factory inside. Surely, when you were going over features and options, you didn't tell the salesman you wanted the loudest and noisiest furnace available, so what went wrong? A common mistake homeowners make is to automatically assume that a more efficient, "modern" furnace, automatically mean quieter.
Our team of professional installers know that comfort means not only temperature and efficiency, but sound levels as well. Our sales experts will explain all the options available today and the difference between "basic heat" and "whisper quiet"
Here is a useful tool that compares sound levels on various furnaces.
Single Stage Furnace
Single stage furnaces, also known as single speed furnaces, only have one stage of heat output - high. They continually disperse the maximum amount of heat that the furnace is designed for.
Two Stage Furnace
Two stage furnaces, also known as two speed furnaces, operate much more efficiently than a single stage furnace. The first stage of this type of furnace operates the majority of the time in most climates, and runs at about 65% of the furnace's full capacity. A 2 stage furnace is much quieter since it doesn't operate at 100% capacity every time it runs.
Modulating Furnace
Unlike a single or two stage furnace, modulating controls allows the system to adjust operation needs in increments of 1 to 100 providing the best comfort with the highest efficiency. Modulating furnaces can reach efficiency ratings of up to 98.5% and are often the most quiet
Variable Speed Furnace
Unlike a single speed furnace, a variable speed furnace refers to the fan motor in the furnace. In variable speed furnaces, the fan motor can move at different speeds to control the amount of heated air dispersed throughout your home. Better airflow results in a more comfortable environment in regards to both temperature and humidity.
This can result in less energy consumption and lower utility bills every month.
Some of the variable speed furnaces available are the most intelligent on the market.
Note: "Variable Speed" refers to the blower motor - how much air it moves through the ductwork. "Two-Stage" refers to the gas valve and burners - basically how much heat the furnace puts out