Furnaces

A More Comfortable Indoor Climate:

Nobody likes temperature swings or cool air blowing in their face. That’s why the more stages a furnace runs on, the better temperature balance and air filtration you have. Single-stage furnaces create temperature swings of up to 4 degrees and blow cool air into your living spaces at the start and end of the cycle. Two-stage furnaces run at the low stage most of the time, producing lesser temperature swings of one to two degrees. Variable-capacity furnaces run at the lowest capacity necessary to maintain balanced temperatures in your home and are the quietest furnaces.

Air Filtration:

Breathe easy with better air filtration! The longer cycles produced by running at less-than-full capacity means air gets moved through the filter more times during the day, helping remove more dust, debris, and allergens from the air. If you have an air purifier in your furnace, the effect is even greater.

Gas Furnace Costs:

Money talks, and there are three ways to look at cost: initial price, operating cost, and repair costs. Single-stage furnaces cost the least, while variable-capacity furnaces are the most expensive. Operating costs are higher for less efficient furnaces, and repair costs are lower for single-stage and two-stage furnaces.

Which Furnace Type is Right for You?

Don’t be left out in the cold – choose the right furnace for your climate! In warm climates, single-stage and two-stage 80% AFUE furnaces and single-stage 90%-93% furnaces are the best options. In cool and cold climates, high-efficiency gas furnaces pay for themselves in less than 10 years.

Air Conditioners:

Feeling hot, hot, hot? Keep your cool with an air conditioner! There are three performance levels to consider: basic, better, and best.

Basic air conditioners are like your first car – they get the job done, but they’re not fancy. They’re single-stage and have a SEER efficiency rating of 13-15. They are loud and might produce temperature fluctuations or cold spots in your home.

Better air conditioners are like a reliable friend – they’re there for you when you need them. They’re two-stage and have SEER ratings of 16-19. They run on low, which is about 65 percent capacity, most of the time, so are quieter than single-stage units and cool more evenly. They’re more effective at dehumidifying your home too.

Best air conditioners are like a luxury car – they’re the cream of the crop. They’re variable-capacity and have SEER ratings as high as 26. These units have compressors that modulate by very small degrees between 25 percent and 100 percent capacity with the result that the units are the quietest, most efficient, best at removing humidity and produce the most balanced temperatures.

Efficiency:

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and is a rating of how many Btu’s of cooling the unit can produce for the electricity it uses. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit is.

Size (Ton):

Size matters when it comes to air conditioners! Each residential AC model is produced in a range of sizes, measured in tons. The largest residential units are 60,000 Btu.

Other Considerations:

Don’t forget about the little things! Refrigerant line set length affects cost, the evaporator coil must be sized to the capacity of the system, and a new thermostat may be needed if upgrading to a system with new features.