With home heating cost on the rise an important question is “How do I Determine if my heater is energy efficient?”. We are here to help home owner like you answer this question. During these frigid months, heating up your home and making it comfortable can be expensive. There are ways to check whether a heat and air conditioner is power efficient or not. Here are the three crucial measurements:
1. AFUE Rating
AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency and this is the best way to check whether your heater is energy efficient or not. It measures how your heater efficiently converts fuel into energy. The higher the AFUE percentage is, the more efficient your heater is. If the AFUE is 98%, it indicates 98% of the fuel can be converted to energy by your heater. Here, the remaining 2% of the fuel’s energy is lost. Older heaters AFUE rating can be as low as 56% where 44% of energy is wasted. This rating can be found in the user manual or on a sticker placed inside the cabinet of the furnace. An 80% AFUE rating has been identified as sufficient for a normal temperature climate.
2. Age of Heater
It is a wise decision to purchase the heater knowing the AFUE percentage, but this is not where the story ends. You can’t have the same performance from a heater throughout its entire life span. The general life expectancy of a heater is 15–20 years. Despite buying a superb AFUE rating heater, that rating decreases by 5% every year. Maintenance can give the desired service, but it cannot expand the longevity of the heater. Therefore, replacement after a certain period of time is imperative.
3. Energy Bill’s Comparison
Fluctuation in energy bills is natural depending on the season change, rise in energy costs or living situation. You can compare your energy bill from each month and that will help you to understand whether your heater is losing efficiency or not. If you are still trying to get a grasp on understand the reason for your energy bill rising, we are here for you to give you a clear idea, inspect and do the necessary things depending on the condition of the heater.
