When To Replace Furnace?
When to replace furnace is always the question we are asked as a HVAC contractor by many homeowners. There are many reasons for a homeowner to consider when to replace furnace specially when a furnace is not working to its fullest capacity, and causing a hike on your energy costs. With today’s utility pricing, which doesn’t seem to be lowering to a more economical pricing for utility consumers, it is a smart choice to switch an older inefficient furnace to high efficiency furnace to save on energy bills.
Here is a short list of when to replace furnace to avoid major costs:
When To Replace Furnace Ottawa
Furnace Not Working Right: You have spent enough money and energy to troubleshoot your furnace. Maybe you are spending more money on the furnace repair rather than your furnace working for you.
Annual Fuel Utilisation Efficiency: (AFUE) is a measure in which a furnace efficiency is calculated. For example a high efficiency furnace with a D.C. blower fan, which uses a lot less energy than a non-qualified model. Check to see how old your furnace is, as furnaces which are over 15 years old, the odds are it maybe a mid-efficiency furnace with an A.C. blower fan. AC Blower Fan also called PSC motor in a furnace, uses a lot more hydro to keep your house warm.
Government Rebates and Incentives: It is definitely a good idea to check for government rebates and incentives. These rebate programs are meant to offset some of the upfront cost of furnace replacements. since the rebate programs help you cover some of the cost if not all to replace your HVAC system. Be sure to visit www.hrai.ca website for new Heating and Cooling Incentive programs.
Improved Indoor Air Quality: Since the newer high efficiency furnaces run on “brushless DC” or sometimes called electronically commutated motor (ECM), running a furnace cost less hydro. Use your furnace on a fan-on-mode and enjoy constant air circulated throughout your house without paying too much on your hydro bills. One other common reason for running the fan when the heating element is not on, is to even-out the temperature throughout the house.
Newer Central Air Conditioner: Considering to replace an older air conditioner, you will greatly benefit from the furnace ECM motor. Because without it, the AC unit needs to provide extra cooling just to overcome the heat generated by a traditional PSC motor. The ECM, the fan motor produces much less heat itself thereby increasing the efficiency of the AC system.
NOTE Homes running the furnace fan 24/7 greatly benefit from a low-speed enabled ECM motor. Low speed setting often only consumes 60W to 75W of power, compared with 400W to 600W being consumed by the high fan speed of a PSC motor. Could be this 325W to 540W savings multiplied by 24 hours a day operation that equates to multi-hundred dollar savings per year.
