Finding the Right Furnace: What is an AFUE Rating?

Your heating system accounts for a significant portion of your utility bills. If you’re thinking of getting a new furnace, you can choose one with a high AFUE rating to keep your energy costs low. Below is a comprehensive explanation of an AFUE rating and how you can use it to select the right furnace for your Bradenton, Florida, home.

What’s an AFUE Rating?

As the acronym for “annual fuel utilization efficiency,” AFUE is a rating that describes the energy efficiency of a furnace. More specifically, it’s the percentage of the total amount of fuel a furnace uses to create useful heat. For example, if a certain furnace has an AFUE rating of 80%, it means it can turn 80% of the fuel it consumes into heat for your home over the course of a year. With this in mind, you’ll know that a high-AFUE furnace is more energy-efficient than a low-AFUE model.

How to Choose the Right Heating System?

Currently, every furnace on the market has been assigned an AFUE rating. The Department of Energy has imposed a minimum AFUE requirement for furnaces, which is 78 percent. However, most new furnaces have significantly higher ratings. Mid-efficiency furnaces come with AFUE ratings ranging from 80 to 90 percent. High-efficiency models have ratings of 90 to 97 percent.

It’s important to note that furnaces with higher AFUE ratings are typically more expensive. However, they’re worth the extra money because they can help you save substantially on your energy costs over the long run. When you’re buying a new furnace, choose one with the highest possible AFUE rating that suits your budget. The more efficient your heating system, the more value you’ll get over its service life, which is usually 15 to 20 years.

Are you looking for a good HVAC contractor who offers high-quality furnace installation services? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the helpful staff at All American Heating & Cooling. Call us today at (941) 451-5228.

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