Making energy-efficient upgrades to your home is a great way to save yourself money in the long run. But is purchasing the most energy-efficient system on the market a surefire way to guarantee you have the best furnace for heating your home? While it might seem like it, there are many factors that will help you determine if your furnace is the best choice for your home heating needs.
At Genuine Comfort, we understand how important it is to choose the right furnace for your home. If you are getting ready to invest in a new furnace for your home, but you aren’t sure whether an 80% or 90% efficiency furnace is the right choice for your home, keep reading to learn which is better for your heating needs.
What is the Difference Between an 80% and 90% Furnace?
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, or AFUE, is used to measure how efficiently different furnace models convert fuel to heat. This means that an 80% furnace turns 80% of the fuel it receives into heat in your home, whereas a 90% furnace turns 90% of the fuel into heat. The higher this percentage, the more energy-efficient a furnace is.
There are also differences in the way the two furnaces are vented. 80% efficiency furnaces have a higher exhaust temperature. Because of this, they have to be vented through a chimney liner. 90% efficiency furnaces vent at lower temperatures, allowing them to vent through PVC pipes.
When reading this, you may come to believe that the best furnace for heating your home is a 90% efficiency furnace. However, choosing the best furnace for heating your home isn’t quite so simple. There are many other benefits and drawbacks to consider when choosing the appropriate furnace for your home.
The Pros and Cons of an 80% Furnace
Pros
Lower Upfront Cost: When investing in the best furnace for heating your home, you have to consider the upfront cost. An 80% efficiency furnace does a wonderful job of warming your home without costing you a great deal of money upfront. If you are looking for a furnace upgrade that doesn’t break the bank, an 80% efficiency furnace might be the way to go.
Great for Milder Climates: 80% efficiency furnaces are a great addition to homes in locations with much milder climates. You may not need the warming capabilities of a 90% furnace, making the upfront cost of the system less appealing. If you live in a warmer location, you might want to consider an 80% furnace instead.
Cons
Lower Efficiency: If you are looking for the most energy-efficient upgrade for your home, an 80% furnace might not be quite efficient enough for you. The 10% difference between an 80% and 90% furnace could mean as much as $1,000 a year on heating your home. Over time, these savings can significantly add up.
You Miss Potential Rebates: In addition to costing you more money down the line, you may miss out on potential rebates and savings by choosing to get an 80% efficiency furnace. There are many federal tax credits for investing in more energy-efficient upgrades to your home that you may ultimately miss out on.
The Pros and Cons of a 90% Furnace
Pros
Higher Efficiency: If your energy bill keeps rising, a 90% efficiency furnace is the best furnace for heating your home in a more energy-efficient manner. By investing in a more energy-efficient appliance, you’ll notice significant savings on your monthly energy bill, as well as a more well-functioning system to warm your home overall.
Safer Combustion: If your furnace is located in a sealed place, like an attic or crawl space, purchasing a 90% efficiency furnace is a much safer heating option. These systems draw air for combustion from outside, meaning they don’t feature the risk of exposure to combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide.
Cons
Higher Upfront Cost: While energy efficiency is an important factor, the upfront cost of a 90% furnace may be offputting when searching for the best furnace for heating your home. With systems ranging anywhere from several hundred to several thousand extra dollars, you might not be able to justify the high upfront cost of purchasing the more energy-efficient option, even with rebates and savings.
Additional Installation Costs: In addition to the higher upfront cost, there may be additional costs associated with purchasing a 90% furnace. They require combustion pipes with outdoor access. If you don’t have this readily available for the system, you will have to pay for the addition to the space in order for the furnace to function properly.
Which is the Best Furnace for Heating Your Home?
With all of this in mind, which is the best furnace for heating your home? To answer that, it is important to understand your unique home heating wants and needs. While a 90% efficiency furnace might be the best furnace for heating your home in a more efficient manner, it comes with some downfalls.
90% efficiency furnaces send lower heat over time to reach your desired temperature to be the most energy efficient. However, because of this, your home might be cooler for longer periods of time immediately after the system is turned on.
Conversely, an 80% efficiency furnace is the best furnace for heating your home more quickly. Immediately after the system turns on, it warms your home more quickly than a 90% efficiency furnace. This faster warming time may be more appealing to you if you have a harder time regulating your body temperature. 80% efficiency furnaces are a great choice for heating the homes of older adults.
Call the Pros to Help You Find Your Perfect Heater
If you are ready to invest in the best furnace for heating your home, turn to our team at Genuine Comfort for help. With years of experience helping homeowners across the Northern Utah area find the perfect furnace for their homes, we’re confident that we can help you as well. When you work with Genuine Comfort, you can trust that you’re making the best investment possible in your home.
In addition to our furnace installation services, we provide furnace and air conditioner repairs, air filtration system installation, and much more to meet your home’s needs. If you need help finding the best furnace for heating your home and you’d like to discuss your options with a member of our team, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.
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