The Efficiency Of A Condensing, Modulating Furnace
Posted on: 12 November 2015
A conventional furnace has one heat exchanger and a one- or two-speed motor. This design is effective, but it is limited by its need to vent exhaust gases up through a vent pipe in the ceiling. Because the conventional furnace has to leave enough heat in the exhaust gases to allow them to rise out of the vent pipe, it will never be more than 83% efficient. If you are looking for the most efficient model that money can buy, you need to look for a modulating, condensing furnace.
What Does a Modulating Furnace Do?
A one-speed motor can only run at full blast. This is similar to gunning your motor at every stoplight. Not only will it wear down your motor, but it will burn more fuel than it should. A two-speed motor will have the ability to run at a lower speed, but it will still not be as efficient as it should be. Such furnaces can also cause quite a racket with the way their fan pushes air through your ducts. A modulating furnace will have a multi-speed motor that can come on at full blast to heat up your home and then adjust its output thereafter to match the demand for heat. It will run for much longer than a one-speed furnace, but at a lower speed that will save you more money in the long run.
What Does a Condensing Furnace Do?
A condensing furnace will have a second heat exchanger, together these two exchangers are responsible for extracting so much heat from the exhaust gases created by burning fuel in your furnace that the gases will convert back to a liquid and will then escape your furnace through a drain pipe. This innovation means that your furnace can achieve efficiency levels of up to 98% efficient.
Not every condensing furnace will have a modulating motor and not every furnace with a modulating motor will have a second heat exchanger. Thus, you should look for a furnace that has both features. The more it costs to run your furnace, the more you pay from month to month to heat your home. Rather than sentence yourself to years worth of high heating costs, you should consider paying more initially to secure lower costs in the long run. If you trade out a 70% efficient furnace for a 98% efficient furnace, then you can save yourself $280 for every $1,000 you would have spent on heating your home. With savings like that, you should be able to pay for your new furnace and possibly even have some money left over in your budget.
For further assistance, contact a local outlet, such as Home Comfort Systems.
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