Furnaces
We all know that things are not made to last the way they used to. The question always comes up. How long can I expect my Furnace to last? The truth is forever if you keep putting money into it. My best advice is to replace your 15 year old furnace before you make that first $400 plus repair or at the time that repair comes up. On a variable speed furnace your motors, control boards and gas valves will be very expensive to repair when they are out of warranty. This is why I prefer to sell basic equipment. If you choose to repair out of warranty furnaces you will have a much nicer looking repair bill with the single stage, non ecm motor furnace. Of course the power companies are giving nice rebates if you choose the ecm or variable speed furnace so I recommend the single stage furnace with the ecm blower option when it fits the application.
Single stage versus two stage. Two stage heating does not save any money on gas. A btu is a btu. Two stage heat creates a more comfortable home during the warmer times of the year. Your furnace will seem like it is running more but it will be firing on half the gas. Where as a single stage furnace will be short cycling on and off because the demand is less than the capacity of the furnace which is needed for our 30 below zero days here in Minnesota. This also means less wear and tear on the gas valve turning on and off as well as the motors starting and stopping. I would prefer not to install an 80% efficient, two stage furnace because I believe the chance of condensing in the chimney is too great.
80% versus 96% efficient. Somewhere around 1999 the energy code changed that required all new homes to be built with 90%+ effiecent furnaces. These furnaces vent in plastic pipe. They are condensing furnaces and have drain systems that can become plugged and will not operate if that occurs. 80% furnaces have motors that exahust the flues gas into a metal chimney. Converting from 80-90% is done often, but there needs to be an available path to run the new exaust and intake pipes out of the home. Staying 80% is always going to be about $1000 cheaper and you will have less things that can go wrong with your new furnace. The more simple the furnace is, the less it will cost in repairs in the long run.
95% of the furnaces made today all have hsi igition and operate pretty much the same. The most important thing when buying a new furnace is not the name on the front of it, but the name of the heating contractor that put it in for you. Improperly installed furnaces will wear out prematurely. This is why you need to call the pro. Ed Pelto of Ed's Heating & Air, inc. Why have an employee of some large company install your new furnace when you can have the owner of the company install it for you. You have Ed as your salesman, installer, and serviceman if needed. My cell phone is 651-775-7490 and I answer it 24/7/365 if you need me.
Single stage versus two stage. Two stage heating does not save any money on gas. A btu is a btu. Two stage heat creates a more comfortable home during the warmer times of the year. Your furnace will seem like it is running more but it will be firing on half the gas. Where as a single stage furnace will be short cycling on and off because the demand is less than the capacity of the furnace which is needed for our 30 below zero days here in Minnesota. This also means less wear and tear on the gas valve turning on and off as well as the motors starting and stopping. I would prefer not to install an 80% efficient, two stage furnace because I believe the chance of condensing in the chimney is too great.
80% versus 96% efficient. Somewhere around 1999 the energy code changed that required all new homes to be built with 90%+ effiecent furnaces. These furnaces vent in plastic pipe. They are condensing furnaces and have drain systems that can become plugged and will not operate if that occurs. 80% furnaces have motors that exahust the flues gas into a metal chimney. Converting from 80-90% is done often, but there needs to be an available path to run the new exaust and intake pipes out of the home. Staying 80% is always going to be about $1000 cheaper and you will have less things that can go wrong with your new furnace. The more simple the furnace is, the less it will cost in repairs in the long run.
95% of the furnaces made today all have hsi igition and operate pretty much the same. The most important thing when buying a new furnace is not the name on the front of it, but the name of the heating contractor that put it in for you. Improperly installed furnaces will wear out prematurely. This is why you need to call the pro. Ed Pelto of Ed's Heating & Air, inc. Why have an employee of some large company install your new furnace when you can have the owner of the company install it for you. You have Ed as your salesman, installer, and serviceman if needed. My cell phone is 651-775-7490 and I answer it 24/7/365 if you need me.
