There is no doubt that households today still use oil and gas furnaces quite often. In spite of the fact that you may have used gas furnaces without any major issues for many decades, you may still wonder if it is worthwhile to switch to an electric furnace. Do they provide equal efficiency as gas furnaces? What is their efficiency?
If such questions have been occupying your thoughts, then you have come to the right place. Due to the quality of heating and excellent energy efficiency, electric furnaces are becoming more and more popular by the day. Despite what kind of heating needs you have, you can spend less on your energy bills with an electric furnace. This article will discover how efficient electric furnaces are and what you can do to ensure that they maintain their efficiency.
How Electric Furnaces Work
Electric furnaces operate similarly to gas furnaces. One of the only differences between these appliances is that they have electric heating elements, which they use to produce heat rather than gas burners. Electric furnaces operate similarly to hairdryers in terms of their function. It gradually warms the air inside by sucking air into the system and sending it through a heat exchanger. In the next step, the electric heating elements will warm up the air so it can be pumped into your ductwork by a blower. It will then be dispersed throughout your home using ductwork. The first thing to note is that an electric furnace has no moving parts that make it less efficient based on this information.
The electricity that is used to run electric furnaces is used for heating your house, so electric furnaces are 100% efficient. Furthermore, a certain percentage of the energy used by a gas furnace to produce heat is lost through the flue after combustion has taken place.
How Efficiency Is Rated
The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) measures how efficiently furnaces burn fuel on an annual basis. A furnace's stats will provide you with this information.
In the form of a percentage, the AFUE is the official measure of energy efficiency. A furnace's heat output is directly related to how much electricity or gas it uses. Most of the energy is wasted as exhaust. For instance, you may have a gas furnace with an efficiency of 80%. Accordingly, the unit converts 80% of the gas into heat while losing 20% in the flue.
In general, gas furnaces have improved their efficiency ratings. Generally, your gas furnace's efficiency is no more than 85% if it is over a decade old. While the price of gas furnaces increases with its efficiency rating, the latest models are around 90% efficient.
A modern electric furnace has an AFUE of 100%; this is the efficiency range of an electric furnace. Thus, electric furnaces do not waste any energy in the conversion process.
High Efficiency Doesn’t Always Mean Optimal Heating
Heat is lost through piping and ducts, so AFUE does not measure this. As much as 35% of your home's energy output can be lost before it reaches your home, reports Energy Saver. You must work hard to ensure no heat is lost during the healing process if you want your electric furnace to be as efficient as possible. You can ensure your electric furnace is as efficient as possible by following the steps below.
Make Sure Your Filter Is Clean
An electric furnace will remove the most particulate matter from the air through the unit's air filter. This component will build up dirt over time, reducing airflow. Your unit will then have to work harder than it should, reducing its efficiency.
Maintaining clean filters is a must if you want your electric furnace to operate at its optimum efficiency. If this component becomes too worn down, you may need to replace it. A professional HVAC technician will conduct regular maintenance on your unit, ensuring that your air filter is cleaned and replaced as necessary.
Make Sure There Are No Air Leaks
Air leaks can dramatically reduce the efficiency of your furnace, regardless of how good it is. You can lose up to 20% of your heated air before it reaches your rooms if your air ducts are worn, old, or inadequately sealed. If you want a large amount of heated air reaching your living spaces, you should ensure your ductwork is sealed professionally. It is also important that your home's windows, doors, walls, and ceiling are well insulated in order to prevent the heat from escaping.
Doing so also ensures your furnace serves you for longer because it won’t have to work harder and break down frequently. The heat needs to be prevented from escaping from the windows, doors, ceilings, and walls of your home. It needs to be prevented from escaping from the windows, doors, ceilings, and walls of your home.
Consider Installing a Programmable Thermostat
Using your furnace sparingly will help you maintain its efficiency. Installing a programmable thermostat is an excellent way to achieve this. You wouldn't want your home to be at a constant temperature during the day, including when you are away from it; it's very wasteful. Furthermore, it is not practical to manually change the temperature every time we enter or exit the house. Further, the process of waiting for the air to warm up after returning home from work does not make for an enjoyable or enjoyable experience.
Thanks to a programmable thermostat, you'll no longer have to struggle with these issues. You don't have to adjust the temperature because the device automatically changes it based on your routine. The temperature in your house is always warm when you enter it and cool when you leave it. A device like this would undoubtedly help you save money, reduce energy consumption, and keep you comfortable and stress-free.
Schedule Regular Furnace Tune-Ups
If they are not maintained properly over time, electric furnaces can become inefficient. Any machine undergoes some wear and tear when it is used, including an electric furnace. Small problems may snowball into severe efficiency problems if left unchecked for a long time.
Cracks, blocked radiators, and loose parts are some of the things that professionals are looking out for. You can keep your furnace running efficiently throughout the heating season by having your furnace tuned up regularly.
Stay on Top of Things
When your furnace reaches its end of life, replacing it is a good way to ensure its efficiency. Using your furnace for more than 20 years is not recommended; however, some people have managed to run their furnaces for over 40 years. In order to continue enjoying high efficiency, consider replacing your well-maintained electric furnace when it turns 15 years old. Using your furnace for a long period of time will cause it to wear out.
Our team is the one to call today if you are interested in switching to an electric furnace. With over 16 years of experience in the furnace installation business, ART Industries Inc has been providing top-notch service to Lower Burrell, Pittsburgh, and surrounding residents. We don't think you should be disappointed with the quality of our workmanship and the level of service we provide. For more information, please give us a call today. Our services include repairing, maintaining, and installing a variety of heating and cooling systems.
Check out our list of the 5 most affordable furnaces to consider!
