Furnace Efficiency Ratings and What They Mean

Published on January 21, 2017

There are a lot of factors to contemplate when you purchase a new furnace:

How much is your budget for a new furnace?
What can you afford in monthly heating bills?
Do any of the residents living in the home suffer from respiratory ailments?
Which type and size system do you require to heat your size of home?

But have you ever thought about your furnace efficiency rating? Do you understand what it means?

Neal Harris Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is here to help you understand what the furnace efficiency rating is and what it means for your home and your budget.

The furnace efficiency rating helps determine how much energy will be needed to heat your home and, ultimately, how much it will cost you. Simply put, the higher your furnace efficiency rating the less energy your heating equipment requires to heat your home.

The AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating is the value that reflects how much heat the furnace will provide compared to the amount of energy required to produce the heat. For example, if your heating system has a AFUE rating of 80%, this means 20% of energy used is lost and 80% actually becomes heat for your home.

Remember that this rating does not take into account the potential heat lost through leaking or incorrectly installed duct work or attic insulation. The duct work in varying homes is different – some high quality, some poorer, so the AFUE rating does not consider this in their rating. If you worry that your heating system or duct system is not energy efficient, give Neal Harris Service Experts a call today and we will come out for a free in-home analysis and help you determine how much more energy and money you could possibly save each month.

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