Heating technology has advanced greatly in recently years. Even a 12-year-old furnace lags behind the fuel efficiency of modern furnaces. If your current furnace is running fine, you may have no reason to replace it. But if you’re noticing problems coming up with your furnace, if the heating isn’t as even as it used to be, or if the system just seems to be getting clunky, purchasing a new furnace may be a better investment than repairing your old one. A furnace 12 to 17 years old can be heating at 60 percent fuel efficiency. A new furnace could save you 40 percent on your heating bills.
There are two basic designs in furnaces, condensing and non-condensing, referring to the type of heat exchanger used by the unit. Condensing models are the most efficient, carrying Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratings of 90 to more than 96 percent, making these furnaces a solid choice for home owners because of the resulting lower heating bills. The furnaces with the highest efficiency ratings, however, also carry the highest upfront cost. Finding the balance between long-term energy savings and initial costs is what makes the purchase of a new furnace such an important decision.
Gas Furnaces
Kidder Heating & Cooling offers Bryant gas furnaces because they offer a perfect combination of comfort features and energy efficiency for your home. Bryant’s gas furnaces range from the top-of-the-line Evolution® 987M with a fuel efficiency of 98.3 percent AFUE, through the mid-range Preferred Series Multi-Speed gas furnaces that still offer 90-96 percent AFUE, to the highly affordable Legacy Fixed-Speed furnaces that achieve 80-90 percent AFUE.
Kidder can also supply you with gas- and oil-fueled boilers for radiant heating systems.