{"id":1312,"date":"2023-04-03T10:16:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T14:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.collierscomfort.com\/blog\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2023-04-11T05:09:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T09:09:56","slug":"furnaces-then-vs-now-why-furnaces-are-more-efficient-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.collierscomfort.com\/blog\/heating-service\/furnaces-then-vs-now-why-furnaces-are-more-efficient-than-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Furnaces Then Vs. Now: Why Furnaces Are More Efficient Than Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Technology improves with each passing year. We as consumers reap the benefits. The furnaces of today are unrecognizable compared to furnaces from decades ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was once considered top-of-the-line is now outdated as we learn new ways to heat our homes efficiently.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an older system, you may wonder if it\u2019s time for furnace replacement in Fort Wayne, IN<\/a>. While furnaces can last for upwards of 30 years, that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re getting the most out of your unit anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn more about furnaces of the past, furnaces today, and how you can get even more efficiency when it comes to heating your home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Measuring Furnace Efficiency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not enough for us to tell you that furnaces are more efficient than one, two or even three decades ago. So we want to break it down and give you a better explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furnace efficiency is measured using a scale called AFUE, which is an acronym for annual fuel utilization efficiency. It estimates the percentage of natural gas that your furnace actually converts into heating power versus energy that gets lost in the process of creating heat for your home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older Furnaces<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Furnaces from decades past usually had AFUE ratings of between 56% and 70%. This means that anywhere from a third to nearly half of all energy consumed by a furnace was wasted. Heat is usually lost when it leaves the combustion chamber through the flu before ever heating your home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newer Furnaces<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As technology has improved, newer furnaces now have AFUE ratings that start at 80% and go as high as 98.5%, meaning that as little as 1.5% of the energy gets lost during the heating process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to ensure that you have the most efficient heater possible, look for a furnace with an Energy Star certification. This means that your furnace has at least 90% AFUE. They were furnaces, are able to achieve these high ratings through improvements including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n