In our business, we like to talk about improved efficiency of new heaters, which can be a great boon if you’re in the market for replacing yours. Heating efficiency is measured by AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency), which is lists the percentage of the system’s consumed energy that actually goes into heat production. The rest is lost to waste. So a system with an AFUE of 60% wastes 40% of the energy consumed while one with an AFUE of 85% only wastes 15%. You can see why you want an efficient heater, and how much of a difference it can make here in Bergen County, NJ. But improved efficiency doesn’t always turn into improved savings: running your new heater more than your old one could still up your monthly bills, and a more powerful heater will suck up energy more than a smaller one. In order to turn improved efficiency into improved savings, you should apply a few simple steps:
MAKE SURE YOUR SYSTEM IS PROPERLY SIZED
An overly powerful heating system may be more efficient than your old one, but that can still cost you extra. A system that heats up your home too quickly will engage in short-cycling: turning on and off rapidly throughout the day. Heaters spend far more energy turning on and off than they do simply running, which means that the improved efficiency will be wasted away quickly Make sure your new heater is properly sized to your home to make the most of its efficiency.
DON’T RUN IT MORE OFTEN
Certainly, you can run your new cheater as often as you like. But if you run it more often than your old one, expect the savings to diminish. The improved efficiency goes into that increased used rather than the monthly bill.
For more efficiency tips, give the pros a BZ Dependable a call today.
