In recent years, homeowners throughout the country have become increasingly interested in making their homes as energy efficient as possible. Energy audits have actually become a fairly routine process to help homeowners such as yourself determine how to save money through improvements for an energy-saving home.

Among the energy-consuming appliances and systems in your home are HVAC systems. And as we get closer and closer to winter, furnaces are top-of-mind for many homeowners. In order to save money and lower your energy use, you’d do well to consider just how efficient your gas furnace is.

Know Your System’s AFUE Rating

You might be asking what this is. AFUE stands for “Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency” and is a measurement of how well your furnace works to convert its fuel source into heating power—whether that is electricity, propane, or is in fact natural gas.

This measurement is the total percentage that represents how much of your furnace’s energy source converts into BTUs (British Thermal Units) of heat. So hypothetically speaking, if your gas furnace transfers 100 units of natural gas into 85 BTUs, then the AFUE rating is 85%.

Today, laws dictate that all furnaces have a minimum AFUE rating of 81%. And in order to get the ENERGY STAR label from the U.S. Department of Energy, your furnace must have an AFUE of at least 90%. There are some high-efficiency systems on the market that rate even higher than this number.

If you want your home’s furnace to live up to its AFUE rating, then it’s imperative that you contact only professionals for furnace installation, replacement, repairs, or maintenance. We can ensure that your furnace performs as efficiently as it should for as long as it should.

To schedule gas furnace services in Littleton, CO today, simply reach out to the pros at APC Plumbing & Heating!