Energy Efficient Furnaces Reduce Carbon Footprint and Save Money
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Dec 11, 2009
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
With President Obama meeting with world leaders in Copenhagen for pivotal discussions about climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, it seems appropriate to see what we can do here in Northeast Ohio to save energy and reduce our personal carbon footprints. Installing a new energy-efficient furnace will help the planet and save Northeast Ohio residents money on their gas bills.
Energy-Efficient Energy Star Furnaces
Heating professionals say the best time to buy a new furnace is before you need one. Waiting until your old furnace breathes its last on some chilly Ohio night forces you to make a hurried decision. If your gas furnace is getting toward the end of its normal 20-year lifespan, it’s time to educate yourself about energy-efficient Energy Star gas furnaces start shopping. Even if your furnace has a few years left in it, replacing it with a new energy-efficient gas furnace could be a wise economic move.
Gas furnaces produced 20 years ago are only 70% efficient. That means only 70% of the fuel they burn is converted into heat. It’s like throwing 30% of the cost of your monthly gas bill out the window. And if your furnace has a constantly burning pilot light instead of electric ignition, it’s burning gas – and your money -- 24/7. New energy-efficient gas furnaces are 96% efficient, a considerable difference in energy costs.
Energy-Efficient Installation
Harvey Sachs, senior fellow with the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in Washington, told a reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal that choosing the right heating professional to supply and install an energy-efficient furnace is just as important as choosing the furnace itself. To provide maximum heating benefits and conserve maximum energy, these furnaces must be correctly sized and properly installed. When used with the forced-air heating systems typically found in Lorain County homes, an experienced heating professional should carefully inspect existing duct work to ensure that the new furnace will work properly.
Is your furnace energy-efficient? Start Shopping