What Makes Newer Furnaces More Energy Efficient?

What Makes Newer Furnaces More Energy Efficient?

What Makes Newer Furnaces More Energy Efficient?

At Stephan Home Comfort there are various tune-ups and heating service Fountain Valley, CA area we can carry out on your furnace to make it more energy efficient. Even with such tune-ups, you may still find that modern furnaces are comparatively more energy efficient as compared to your older furnace.  This is particularly the case for the furnaces that run on natural gas. The ENERGY STAR program by the Department of Energy in the U.S now requires that new furnaces be manufactured to meet at least 90 percent in AFUE ratings. For new furnace makes and models to receive the ENERGY STAR certification, they will have to comply with this requirement.

The fact that modern furnaces can meet this rating with ease may be the reason why such a high standard was set in the first place. Rather than having your old unit tuned up to improve its efficiency, you may need to have it replaced with modern ones. So, how do the newer furnaces manage to be so efficient?

Better Construction

The modern furnace makes feature an improved construction, featuring motors that are more efficient and lighter material. This being the case, it has become easier for the heat exchangers to transfer heat to the surrounding air from the combustion gases. Additionally, manufacturers are continually looking for better furnace designs that will make the units consume even less energy.

Sealed Combustion

Unlike the traditional furnaces that applied open combustion chambers, the modern units use sealed combustion chambers. The functioning of these sealed chambers is somewhat different in that they seal off the chambers within the house and then draw air from outside the house. Such an improvement reduces heat loss from these units considerably. Our expert heating service Fountain Valley, CA professionals, at Stephan Home Comfort, will also tell you that such an improvement also plays an important role in maintaining a constant humidity level in the indoor air. With our help, you can benefit from this technology by replacing your old furnace with the modern units.

What Makes Newer Furnaces More Energy Efficient?

Variable-Speed Fans

In traditional furnaces, the fan will run at a constant speed as long as the unit is on. Contrary to this norm, the modern units can vary the speed of the fans in accordance the heating needs at any particular time.  This being the case, the fan can adjust to a lower mode, which is specifically designed to save energy. This feature plays a significant role in enhancing the energy efficiency of modern furnaces.

Condensing Furnaces

With the condensing furnaces, energy loss that occurs during the exhaust of composition gases is reduced. Instead of being expelled from the unit directly, much of the heat in the combustion fumes will be transferred through the heat exchanger walls, before being moved into another chamber. Within the second chamber, the exhaust fumes are condensed to release more heat. This feature helps such units extract as much heat energy from combustion gases as possible before expelling them.