St. Louis, MO, is known for wild winter weather. Snowstorms, ice storms, rain, high winds and frigid temperatures can happen throughout the winter season. If your home has an old furnace, it might not be as efficient as it once was.
Indoor Comfort Team is the St Louis area team of heating experts. We are often called out to repair or replace an inefficient furnace. Having an old furnace that doesn’t work well (or at all) can cost you money and potential risk of losing heat in the middle of a frigid Missouri winter.
Look out for these three signs that your furnace is inefficient.
High Utility Bills
An inefficient furnace doesn’t burn fuel effectively. This will drive up your wintertime heating bills. Regular heating services, including monthly air filter changes, will help your furnace reach its maximum efficiency level. However, rising utility costs without an adjustment to your thermostat or a significant drop in the outdoor temperature could be due to a failing and inefficient furnace.
Constant Cycling
Frequent cycling is a sign that your furnace isn’t efficient. If the furnace has to run all the time to heat your home, it may have a burner or pilot issue. It’s possible that a tune-up will improve the furnace’s efficiency. You may also notice that it takes your furnace a long time to heat your home after you adjust the thermostat. If your home still isn’t at the desired temperature after one hour, your old furnace could be the reason.
Low AFUE Rating
Older furnaces may have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating of just 60% to 80%. This means they waste 20% to 40% of the energy on the flue gases. According to the Department of Energy, efficient furnaces have AFUE ratings as high as 98%. This means they waste just 2% the input energy on the flue gases. As your heating contractor, we can help you determine the AFUE of your current system and calculate the energy savings you’ll enjoy if you replace the old furnace with a new one.
For more information about how to tell if your furnace is inefficient, take a look at Indoor Comfort Team’s heating services, or get in touch with us today.
Improve or Replace an Inefficient Furnace
For more information about how to tell if your furnace is inefficient, take a look at Indoor Comfort Team’s heating services, or get in touch with us today. We provide complete HVAC services to the greater St. Louis area including heating repair and heating system installation.
