A furnace is an installation that produces heat that is later distributed by your central heating system to keep your home warm. Your furnace creates heat and it is evenly distributed through the vents to heat up the house to your desired specifications. The amount of heat allowed to flow through your house is determined by your furnace’s control system, otherwise known as your thermostat.
How to Know if Your Furnace Needs Replaced
Your furnace must function smoothly in order to properly heat your home. Here are some signs that your furnace isn’t working as well as it should:
- Your home is unevenly heated
- You smell a sulfur-like or pungent odor
- The furnace flame wavers or turns yellow
- The pilot light won’t turn on right away
- The pilot light goes out frequently
- Your home feels unusually humid
- There’s an unexplained jump in your heating bills
If you are having problems with your furnace, call Yazd today. We will send a qualified professional to your home, at no cost to you, to explain how our high efficiency, multi-stage, and variable speed furnaces can make all the difference in your home this winter.
What You Should Know about Furnaces and Energy Efficiency
Not all furnaces are created equally. Some furnaces are energy-efficient and will save you money in the future. To get the most out of your furnace investment, it’s important for you to understand how your furnace’s efficiency is determined and rated.
A furnace’s efficiency is measured by its annual fuel utilization efficiency, or AFUE. The AFUE measures the amount of heat your house receives against the amount of fuel that the furnace requires. This tells you exactly how much heat is lost through the chimney and, most importantly, how much of every dollar you spend on fuel actually goes toward keeping you warm. For example, if you have a furnace with an 80% AFUE rating, 80% of your furnace’s fuel goes towards heating your home and the other 20% is lost. The higher a furnace’s AFUE rating, the higher its efficiency.
An Important Note
As of January 1st, 1992, The US Department of Energy requires that all furnaces sold in the US have a minimum AFUE of 78 percent. Today, thanks to numerous technological advances, furnaces can have an AFUE rating of as high as 96 percent. A rating this high can make a substantial difference in your heating bills and is kinder to the environment.