High Efficiency Furnace
I love my new furnace! Its a Trane, two stage furnace, 93% efficient, with a variable speed blower and a White Rodgers thermostat.
First let's talk about the efficiency. The efficiency rating of a furnace indicates how much of the heat, created from burning the fuel, goes into your house versus out the flue. It has been said that unless you live with really cold winters, it is more economical to buy a less efficient (80% efficient) furnace. Essentially, you'll pay less for the furnace but your heating bills will be slightly higher.
Since we're talking about going Green and reducing our carbon footprint, it makes sense to put a little extra money into the furnace and go for the 90%+ efficiency. You are likely to make back the money somewhere else. For example, utility companies like PG&E give rebates for the 90% efficiency furnaces. Secondly, some states like California, require that you pressure test your ducts if you select a furnace with sub-90% efficiency. The pressure test, which costs money, looks for leaks and insures that you're not losing additional efficiency by pumping the heat outside.
Many installers will automatically select the 90% efficiency furnace for you. This is the reason why... If they install a sub-90% furnace and their newly installed ducts fail the pressure test, guess who's going to eat the cost of fixing your ducts... they are. But that being said, Carbon Bigfoot still says go with the 90%+ and step a little softer. As a bonus Consumer Reports says that the higher efficiency furnaces typically have a longer life and fewer problems.
Now lets talk about the luxury of it all. Have you ever been in a house that's either HOT or COLD, but never just right. And when its HOT, it's like your lungs are on fire and its drying you like a shrunk apple head. I really hate that.
The solution is the two stage furnace with the variable speed blower. The furnace has the capability to produce either warm air or hot air. So when your house reaches it's desired temperature using the hot air, the furnace kicks itself down to warm, and the variable speed blower reduces the air speed. The result is a trickle of warm air that's just right all the time. It's totally awesome!
I have my return air vent in the ceiling and my supply registers in the floor. This is the ideal setup as it works with the natural convection currents of the house. Unfortunately it's not always possible to do it this way, but if you can I highly recommend it. Someday I hope to add return air vents in the ceiling of each bedroom. This will even the temperature throughout the house even if the bedroom doors are closed.
I suggest getting the White Rodgers 90 series thermostat model 1F95-1277. It can be programmed to turn the fan on once per hour to keep air circulating through your air filter whether or not the furnace or AC is needed. Indoor air quality is very important and requires more attention as you make your house more energy efficient. Energy efficiency usually involves trapping air as well as allergens in the house. Get the highest quality air filter for your furnace that you can afford. I've got the standard electrostatic air filter that Trane sells. I should have gotten their really high end unit upfront (Trane CleanEffects) but intend to upgrade someday in the future.
My furnace is made by Trane (a.k.a. American Standard) but according to Consumer Reports, the manufacturer is not nearly as important as the installer, since the major brands are all equivalent in features and reliability. I got outrageous bids for my system until I found an installer that I liked. If your in Marin, I recommend this guy. He's an independant contractor and charged me thousands less than the big HVAC shops. He's done work for at least a few people I know and was very reliable. The only catch is that he asks for most of the money up front. Since I had always been told to be warry of things like that, I found someone who would vouch for him before I sent a check. He turned out to be extremely professional. His name is Craig Nelson and his contact number is: 707-556-9446.
First let's talk about the efficiency. The efficiency rating of a furnace indicates how much of the heat, created from burning the fuel, goes into your house versus out the flue. It has been said that unless you live with really cold winters, it is more economical to buy a less efficient (80% efficient) furnace. Essentially, you'll pay less for the furnace but your heating bills will be slightly higher.
Since we're talking about going Green and reducing our carbon footprint, it makes sense to put a little extra money into the furnace and go for the 90%+ efficiency. You are likely to make back the money somewhere else. For example, utility companies like PG&E give rebates for the 90% efficiency furnaces. Secondly, some states like California, require that you pressure test your ducts if you select a furnace with sub-90% efficiency. The pressure test, which costs money, looks for leaks and insures that you're not losing additional efficiency by pumping the heat outside.
Many installers will automatically select the 90% efficiency furnace for you. This is the reason why... If they install a sub-90% furnace and their newly installed ducts fail the pressure test, guess who's going to eat the cost of fixing your ducts... they are. But that being said, Carbon Bigfoot still says go with the 90%+ and step a little softer. As a bonus Consumer Reports says that the higher efficiency furnaces typically have a longer life and fewer problems.
Now lets talk about the luxury of it all. Have you ever been in a house that's either HOT or COLD, but never just right. And when its HOT, it's like your lungs are on fire and its drying you like a shrunk apple head. I really hate that.
The solution is the two stage furnace with the variable speed blower. The furnace has the capability to produce either warm air or hot air. So when your house reaches it's desired temperature using the hot air, the furnace kicks itself down to warm, and the variable speed blower reduces the air speed. The result is a trickle of warm air that's just right all the time. It's totally awesome!
I have my return air vent in the ceiling and my supply registers in the floor. This is the ideal setup as it works with the natural convection currents of the house. Unfortunately it's not always possible to do it this way, but if you can I highly recommend it. Someday I hope to add return air vents in the ceiling of each bedroom. This will even the temperature throughout the house even if the bedroom doors are closed.I suggest getting the White Rodgers 90 series thermostat model 1F95-1277. It can be programmed to turn the fan on once per hour to keep air circulating through your air filter whether or not the furnace or AC is needed. Indoor air quality is very important and requires more attention as you make your house more energy efficient. Energy efficiency usually involves trapping air as well as allergens in the house. Get the highest quality air filter for your furnace that you can afford. I've got the standard electrostatic air filter that Trane sells. I should have gotten their really high end unit upfront (Trane CleanEffects) but intend to upgrade someday in the future.
My furnace is made by Trane (a.k.a. American Standard) but according to Consumer Reports, the manufacturer is not nearly as important as the installer, since the major brands are all equivalent in features and reliability. I got outrageous bids for my system until I found an installer that I liked. If your in Marin, I recommend this guy. He's an independant contractor and charged me thousands less than the big HVAC shops. He's done work for at least a few people I know and was very reliable. The only catch is that he asks for most of the money up front. Since I had always been told to be warry of things like that, I found someone who would vouch for him before I sent a check. He turned out to be extremely professional. His name is Craig Nelson and his contact number is: 707-556-9446.
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