Is a Condensing Furnace Right for Your Asheville Home?
If you’re looking for a new heating system for your Asheville home that will operate efficiently and save you money on your heating bills, consider a condensing gas furnace. Condensing furnaces combine energy-efficient components and new technology to offer a highly efficient system that will save you money and lower your carbon footprint.
Condensing furnaces have an AFUE of at least 90 percent, compared to 65 percent for furnaces older than 10 years. The features that contribute to this energy efficiency include:
- Dual heat exchangers – Conventional furnaces have one heat exchanger that heats the air for your home and vents the resulting exhaust gases outside. Condensing furnaces have a secondary heat exchanger that recovers this exhaust and uses it to heat more air for your home.
- Sealed combustion chamber – Rather than drawing in household air for the combustion process like conventional furnaces, the air intake for the condensing furnace is vented directly outside. This closed system significantly reduces the risk of dangerous carbon monoxide leaks in your home.
- Variable speed blower motor – A conventional furnace’s blower operates at the same speed, regardless of the heating needs of your home. Condensing furnaces feature a blower with variable speeds which modulate according to how much heat your home needs at any given time. During warmer weather, the blower will operate at a slower, but more constant speed, resulting in more evenly-distributed heat for your home as well as superior air filtration. The blower on the condensing furnace is powered by an electronically-commutated motor, or ECM, which uses up to 75 percent less electricity than the conventional furnace’s split-capacitor motor and operates more quietly.
- Modulating gas valve – A condensing furnace regulates the flow of fuel to the system from 40 percent to 100 percent of its capacity. During warm spells, less gas is used to heat your home, while maintaining an optimum level of comfort.
For more expert advice about how a condensing furnace can save you money and conserve energy, please feel free to contact us at Smoky Mountain Heating & Air. We serve the Asheville area with a high level of customer satisfaction.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Image courtesy of Shutterstock