The higher cost can lead homeowners to either opt for a less efficient but cheaper replacement or to stay.
Furnace efficiency 80 vs 95.
Assuming no mechanical problems as described above i d go with the 95 your tenant s heating bill will be approximately 16 less than with the 80 version.
On paper high efficiency furnaces seem like a good investment both in terms of energy bills and the environment.
First of all high efficiency furnaces can have a higher price tag than standard models.
A 95 efficiency furnace uses sealed combustion where the heating unit pulls air in from outdoors instead of using air in the home.
Deciding between 80 96 efficient furnaces.
High efficiency furnaces offer 90 or more afue.
The same amount of money is spent on that fuel being used.
An 80 efficiency furnace burns natural gas using open combustion by pulling air from the surrounding area and exhausting the waste up the chimney.
So a 95 furnace is more efficient than an 80 furnace.
But besides the level of efficiency another key difference between the 80 afue and 95 afue furnaces is that they operate a little differently.
A standard efficiency furnace provides 80 annual fuel utilization efficiency afue.
A furnace with a 95 efficiency rating uses 95 of the fuel to produce and deliver heat to where it s needed.
In fact it is 16 more efficient.
Obviously the 96 efficient furnace will be more efficient using natural gas to heat your home.
To calculate those savings simply multiply the difference in afue 95 80 15 by your monthly or yearly bill amount.
We are often asked what the differences in 80 and 96 efficient furnaces are.
That means a 95 afue furnace will cost less to run than an 80 afue furnace.
But in one scenario 80 of the fuel is used to contribute to delivering heat whereas in the other scenario 95 of the fuel is used to contribute to delivering heat.
Still there are a few things to consider before committing to a furnace upgrade.
In this type of furnace 20 of the energy produced by natural gas is expelled as exhaust.
If your house is well constructed and insulated the waste heat from the 95 furnace should suffice even if it s the only furnace in the basement.
These days 95 afue is a common rating among new gas powered furnaces.
The same amount of fuel is used in both cases.
We recommend to everyone who buys a new furnace that they upgrade to something with a 95 afue or higher to get the most savings possible.