If you’re like most Americans, you’ll be using a furnace as your main heating source at home this winter. While a standard, single-stage unit can technically get the job done in terms of providing whole-house warmth, a lot of homeowners enjoy improved comfort and energy savings by switching to modulating furnaces.
Let’s take a look at the biggest potential advantages of upgrading your home with a modulating unit.
Modulating furnaces are more energy-efficient than other furnace models.
They also better able to provide even, consistent temperatures than other models.
What Is a Modulating Furnace?
A modulating furnace is a gas furnace with a modulating valve and variable speed blower designed to provide efficient and economical heating performance. Modulating furnaces are designed to run in precise increments. Unlike traditional single-stage gas furnaces that can only operate either 'all on' or 'all off', modulating furnaces are designed to minimize energy consumption by running a low fan speed to meet the temperature you set it at. The temperature from room to room remains consistent because of the continuous low running of the modulating gas furnace.
Modulating Furnaces vs. Single-Stage and Two-Stage Furnaces
During the colder months of the year, many people are concerned about how much it’s going to cost them to operate their furnace. After all, home heating costs typically make up 42% of an average household’s utility bill. You can ease your worries by investing in more energy-efficient heating equipment. To get a better idea of what this looks like, let’s compare modulating furnaces to single-stage and two-stage furnaces.
A single-stage furnace has only one power mode, which means that it’s either running at full power or not at all. This can result in drastic hot and cold fluctuations in your home and uneven heating. A two-stage furnace has a high-power mode and a lower-power mode, which offers more energy-efficiency than a single-stage furnace, but not as much when compared to a modulating furnace.
How Modulating Furnaces Provide Better Energy Savings and Comfort
Modulating furnaces are engineered to provide even, steady heat without using excess energy. They accomplish this by means of a modulating gas valve and, usually, a variable-speed blower.
The modulating gas valve adjusts the gas input and, therefore, the furnace flame, so that it matches your home’s heat loss. These adjustments can be slight, allowing the equipment to produce varying heat levels.
At the same time, the variable-speed fan blower can run at a variety of speeds to precisely control the flow of heated air through your home. If it doesn’t need to be on “at full blast,” it will adjust itself so that it can:
save energy;
heat your home more evenly.
The combined efforts of the modulating gas valve and the variable-speed blower allow you home to achieve a more exact and even temperature with fewer hot and cold fluctuations. A more even and exact temperature means that you’ll be more comfortable. Fewer fluctuations mean that you’ll spend less money on heating costs to stay comfortable.
At Carter Comfort Systems, we’re proud to offer energy-efficient Amana furnaces assembled right here in the USA! For more information about these products, their warranties, and their efficiency ratings, please contact our office today: (208) 739-4181.