Although energy efficiency seems to have become a buzzword, this is one aspect you do not want to overlook when choosing a heating system for your home. So be sure to use this guide for any decision you make about your home heating system.
Here are some ways to tell if your heating system is energy efficient
1. Your energy bills remain consistent
If you see a sudden spike in your monthly energy bill, that usually indicates that there is a fault in your home heating system. This may be due to a faulty thermostat. By checking and changing the setting on your thermostat, you prevent your heating system from running unnecessarily and wasting money.
Pay close attention to your energy bills because they will show you if your heating system is efficient. If there is a consistent increase in energy bills, then it means that the heating system is working harder than it should, which costs you more money on gas and electricity for the same heating.
2. The AFUE rating of your furnace
An AFUE rating tells you about the energy efficiency of your heating system and how much usable energy you get out of it. In addition, an AFUE rating lets you know if your system is in good working condition by presenting a percentage that rates the heating efficiency.
It’s not difficult to determine if your furnace has an AFUE rating of 90% or less when you know how to read it. The AFUE rating is a number that represents the amount of usable energy that was produced by a furnace and is calculated by dividing the heating performance by the total energy input.
3. Check the age of your furnace
If your furnace is more than 20 years old, it might be time for an upgrade. The efficiency of your heating system goes down considerably after 20 years, and it becomes more costly to run than a newer version of the same heating system.
The age of your furnace also plays a big part in the efficiency of your heating system. Repairing an old heating system will not be cost-effective because new versions are more efficient and use less energy.
4. Perform an airtight test
The goal here is to find out if heat is escaping anywhere in your home. An easy way to do this is to light an incense and see if the smoke tries to escape out your drafty windows, doors, or anywhere else in your house. If there is no air escaping, that means that the heat inside your home has not escaped outside.
You can also stand near the areas and see if you feel a draft. It’s the simplest way of checking, but not always the most accurate. It doesn’t hurt to check and ensure that there is no heat escaping from your home.
All of these tips should help you make sure your heating system is energy efficient
Any one of these things could potentially save you a significant amount of money when the temperatures begin to drop. So keep an eye out for these issues, and help keep your heating system in peak efficiency. The goal is to have your heating system work efficiently so that it doesn’t cost you too much money every time the mercury drops.