Heating Solutions Serving the Centre County Region

Heating Information You May Find Helpful…

What Does AFUE Rating Mean?

AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency and it measures the efficiency of a gas furnace. The higher the percentage, the more efficient your machine. AFUE is a ratio: Annual heat output of a furnace or boiler v.s. total annual fossil fuel energy consumed by the furnace or boiler. If your rating is 80 percent, then 80 percent of the energy consumed is being used to heat your home and the other 20 percent escapes as exhaust.Consumer Reports says that a 90 percent AFUE can cost about $1,000 more than a similar sized 80 percent AFUE, but “that additional cost can generally be recouped in lower fuel bills over the lifetime of the furnace.”

Gas Valve Types

What’s the difference between single, two-stage or modulating gas valves? Single-stage valves run at full capacity all of the time. Two-stage valves run at 65% capacity most of the time and full capacity during extreme temps. Modulating valves use more stages which allows for precision temperature control.A single-stage valve may offer the lowest initial investment, but it can cause high monthly energy bills. A two-stage valve is quieter and more efficient, while modulating valves are the most intelligent on the market and can save you big on energy costs over their lifetime.