FORCED AIR HEATING SYSTEMS
A forced air furnace is a heating system that burns either natural gas, LP gas (propane), fuel oil, or electric for heat. Using return ducts, it takes air from inside your home, heats it, then delivers the warm air back into your home via supply ducts. Forced air furnaces have many advantages over other home heating methods.
Urtz Service offers multiple trusted brands of forced air heating systems for natural gas, LP (propane), fuel oil, and electric.
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COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT FORCED AIR SYSTEMS:
What is a high efficiency furnace?
Each gas furnace model has an energy efficiency rating in the form of a percentage. This number is its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE), or the ratio of annual heat output of the furnace compared to the amount of annual fuel energy it consumes.
For example, if a furnace has an AFUE of 80%, it means 80% of the energy in the fossil fuel is being converted to heat while 20% escapes and is wasted. Today’s high-efficiency systems can have an AFUE as high as 98.5%, meaning nearly all the energy purchased is used for heating your home.
As a simplified example - on a 96% AFUE Efficient furnace, for every $1.00 spent - .04 cents is wasted out the vent pipe.
What is the difference between a variable speed blower motor and a normal blower motor?
Variable speed technology enables a heating and cooling system to precisely adjust its output or capacity according to your home’s temperature demand. Unlike a base model or single speed HVAC system which cycles ON at 100% then OFF, equipment with variable speed technology and supporting ductwork may use less energy because it is designed to operate at multiple capacity levels which are typically lower.
When one or more of these variable speed technology features is applied to your HVAC system, you may be able to spend less on utility costs without sacrificing your indoor comfort level.
Customers that Urtz Service have installed variable speed systems for in the past have stated that their system was "Extremely quiet compared to the old equipment" and "The temperature in the house feels more balanced and even"
What is the difference between a single stage, 2 stage, and modulating furnace?
A single stage furnace will fire and run at 100% capacity every time it calls for heat, until the thermostat is satisfied. A 2 stage furnace fires at 60% capacity of its rating in first stage, and increases to 100% capacity based on a length of run time or increased temperature demand from the thermostat. A modulating furnace will fire at low speed, and increase or decrease the fire rate % as it is needed.
For example:
A 100,000 BTU single stage gas furnace will ignite, and run at the full 100,000 BTU's until the thermostat is satisfied on every call for heat.
A 100,000 BTU 2 stage gas furnace will ignite at 60% (60,000 btus). If the thermostat is satisfied in the determined duration of time, the call for heat ends. If the thermostat is not being satisfied quick enough, the furnace will turn on the second stage and will run at the full 100,000 BTUS.
A 100,000 BTU modulating furnace can ignite as low as 40% (40,000 BTUS). There are no dedicated stages. As the system is running, the output will increase or decrease in small increments based on what the thermostat needs to satisfy. Since these types of systems are able to run a lower rates, and self adjust as needed, modulating furnaces are the most efficient systems available today.
Do I have to stay with my oil furnace?
Not at all! A heating oil system can easily be changed out to a gas system. Its a matter of contacting a gas company (LP -your choice of company/Natural Gas - National Grid) and setting up a new service. Urtz Service will change out the equipment, run the gas line outside, and the gas company will hook up to the piping we provide and install. We try to work hand in hand with the gas company, to arrange the startup right after the gas company pressure tests our lines and gives the ok.