Understanding your Home Comfort Choices

 

AFUE - (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). AFUE measures the amount of heat you actually get inside your home compared with he total amount of heat produced by your system. For example, heating systems with an AFUE of 90% transfer 90% of their heat into the home, with only 10% expelled up the chimney as a product of combustion. The less heat you lose up the chimney, the lower your heating bills will be.

SEER - (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) measures the efficiency of electric use in cooling equipment. The more cooling you can get out of a watt of electricity, the less you'll spend. Cooling systems with a SEER of 14 or higher are considered energy efficient.

Boiler - is the central heating unit of hydronic heating systems (hot water or steam systems). One advantage of heating with a boiler is its even heating. New technology - installing small, flexible air ducts, has made it possible for many homeowners with boilers to add central air conditioning.

Furnace - is a central heating system that uses hot air to warm a home. A furnace has the advantage of being able to accommodate add-on applications; the ductwork can deliver different kinds of conditioned air, e.g., cooled, humidified. You can also add an air cleaner to a furnace for filtering out dust, pollen and other airborne particles that can cause allergic reactions.

Variable-Speed System - is one of the most efficient way to heat or cool a home. It uses varying airflow speeds to adjust to changing temperatures and conditions in a home.