Alvin
COMMUNITY FORUM
I own a 1200 sq ft house and am about to purchase a new furnace. Both companies that i got quotes from recommended a mid efficiency furnace over a high efficiency furnace saying that the differnce in the amout saved doesn't warrant the extra cost, does this sound realistic? Going on this advice I chose a TRANE mid efficiency(100,000 BTU) furnace, Any comments would be appreciated.
I guess that it depends on where you live, how much the fuel costs, and how long you plan to stay there. If a high-eff furnace is, say 95% efficient, and a mid-eff is 85% efficient, you can expect to save 10% of your heating costs, but that might actually decrese to 8-9%, as the efficiencies tend to drop off a bit as the units get older.
Look at your heating bill and the additional cost of the high-eff furnace. If your heating bill is $1000 per year, you can expect to save $100 or so each year. If the additional cost is $700 to $1000, it may be worth it. If it is less than $600, it is very likely worth it to upgrade on a straight cost/benefit calculation. What you also have to consider is any additional cost you will incur with high-eff furnaces (higher servicing costs and higher parts costs). As well, if the fuel price is likely to increase, it will be more worth your while to chose the high-eff furnace.
Good luck,
Mark
