3 Things To Look For When Purchasing A New Heater

Autumn officially arrives in just a few days, which means that winter will be here before you know it. If your heating system is on its last legs, now is the ideal time to install a new one. This will allow you to take advantage of its improved efficiency and similar features before you need it, enjoying the benefits all winter long. It also means you won’t have to worry about your heating system breaking down, which provides peace of mind as well as savings on monthly heating costs and total coverage in the unlikely event of a breakdown.Before you install the new system, however, you need to take careful stock of your needs, and ensure that the heater you purchase is able to meet them. That’s part of why you should always count on a trained technician to provide timely advice and help you select a system that perfectly meets your needs. More specifically, there are 3 things to look for when purchasing a new heater that will ensure that it’s perfect for your specific household.

Power Levels
The heating system for your home needs to be balanced against the needs of the space and follow what we like to call the Goldilocks Rule: neither too large nor too small, but just right. If it’s too small, it won’t be able to heat the space the way it should. If it’s too large, it will engage in a process known as short cycling: turning on and off again rapidly as it heats the home too quickly and shuts down, only to turn on again as the cold weather lowers the temperature. That can be extremely hard on the heater’s individual components, and lead to increased wear and tear and even breakdowns much sooner than you expect. A well-balanced system will ensure that your home is heated efficiently without wasting energy.

Fuel Source
Many heaters depend on natural gas for fuel, while others rely on electricity, oil or even more exotic sources such as geothermal energy. In most cases, you’ll want a system that matches the fuel source of your previous heating system, but in some cases, you might want to think about a system that uses alternative types of fuel. This can help you save money on monthly costs or provide longevity to help your new system last.

AFUE Ratings
Efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to heating systems, and with the basics of the system (make, model, and size) dealt with, the next step is to measure efficiency. Heaters measure efficiency in terms of AFUE ratings, which stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. It’s a simple percentage, measuring how much of the heater’s energy consumption goes into heating the home (the remaining percentage is lost to waste and inefficiency). The higher the ranking, the more effectively the system makes use of the energy it consumes, meaning you want your new heater’s AFUE rating to be as high as you can afford.