All homeowners want to make sure that their heater is as energy efficient as possible. If you don’t get a good heater that is ranked high for this energy efficiency, then you are going to run into some high electrical bills at the end of the month. But if you have a system that is ranked high for energy efficiency, then you will be able to keep your home nice and toasty in the winter, without having to worry about the higher bills at the same time.
But how do you know whether you have a heater that is considered energy efficient or not? A newer system is going to be more efficient automatically because that is how they are made today. But what if you have a heater that is more than a few years old? There are still a few things that you can check out to see the efficiency of your heater and these include:
Know the AFUE Rating
One thing that you can look for when it is time to know whether your heater is energy efficient or not is the AFUE rating. This is known as the annual fuel utilization efficiency. This will tell you the percentage that measures how efficiently the heater can take fuel and convert it over to energy. The higher this rating, the more efficient your heater is considered.
For example, if you have an AFUE rating at 98%, this means that 9% of the fuel is being used to help heat up the home and only 2% is lost. This is a good efficiency rating. But some of the older furnaces in your home may have a rating that is down to 56%. This means that 44% of the energy is being vented to the outside, and it is wasted and costs you a ton of money.
You will be able to find this rating on the sticker outside of the furnace cabinet and in your user manual. If you are not able to find the rating through these methods, which can happen if the system is older, then you can do a search of your make and model online to get some answers. For the furnace to be considered high-efficiency, the rating needs to be a minimum of 90%.
Consider the Age of the Heater
The AFUE rating can tell you quite a bit about your heater, but that is just the start of the puzzle. You also need to consider the age of the heater. Most heaters for a home will last between 15 to 20 years, depending on the type you get and how well you take care of it and maintain the unit. Even if the heater has a great rating, it will start to decline up to 5% every year that you do not maintain it properly.
Although you may have done a good job of taking care of the equipment for years, it can get older and some of the components will wear down and not work as well. This is natural the more that you use it and the longer you keep the item around. And with so many great advances that have happened in the past few years in HVAC systems, even one that is only 10 years old may benefit from a new upgrade along the way.
To help figure out if the heater is efficient, you can look at the original AFUE rating of the system and then do some mat. If you want to save money on your utility bills and make sure that you have a furnace that is energy efficient, then you may need to start putting some money back for a new heater sooner rather than later. You can also talk to an HVAC technician to help give you an idea of how well the system is doing before you make any decisions.
Compare Your Energy Bills
Another thing to consider when it comes to the age of your heater and how well it is doing is your energy bills. It is natural for homeowners to see some fluctuation when it comes to their energy bills from time to time. Changing seasons, living situations, and so much more will make the energy bills vary. For example, if you have a really cold front come through and your heater has to work harder, then you are going to spend more. But if you notice that your utility bill goes up, even when it is not super cold out, then this can be a problem.
You should take a look at your utility bill and compare the amount of energy that you are using each month. This will help you figure out whether the heater is losing efficiency or not. If you see that the bill is significantly higher than the same time last year and it is because you are using more energy without it being colder, then this is a sign that your heater is not as efficient as before.
You should keep a closer eye on your heating bills and note some of the outside influences that can contribute to the bill being higher, such as changing climate patterns, lack of maintenance being done on the system, and any of the upgrades that you need done on the system. Tracking these shifts will help you catch some of the changes in efficiency so you can make a smarter decision about getting a new heater or repairing the one you have.
When you are looking for service today in heating, cooling, and electrical repair, then give our team a call. We have some of the best services in town, providing you with a comfortable place to call your own. Whether you are looking for some maintenance to get done around the HVAC system or you have a major problem that shows up and you want to get it fixed as soon as possible. There are a lot of potential problems that can come up with your electrical or your HVAC system and our team is here to help you get it under control and keep it working for a long time to come. Contact us today to learn more!
