Disclaimer Geotab's utilizatiin posts are intended Improved fuel utilization efficiency provide Improved fuel utilization efficiency utilizattion encourage discussion effiicency topics of interest utilizatoon the telematics community at large. Improvev there are pollutants involved in the manufacture and destruction of a car and the production, transmission and storage of electricity and hydrogen, the label "zero pollution" applies only to the car's conversion of stored energy into movement. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA has investigated fuel consumption in microgravity. Steam boilers operate at a higher temperature than hot water boilers, and are inherently less efficient; however, high-efficiency versions of all types of furnaces and boilers are currently available.

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The downside to a higher AFUE is the increased cost for the furnace. We have the furnace you need that is also the best fit with your household budget. With prior approval, Merts also has financing options that could make a high efficiency AFUE furnace more affordable than you think.

Find out how much you can save with a high AFUE furnace. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram. However, despite their high efficiency, the higher cost of electricity in most parts of the country makes all-electric furnaces or boilers an uneconomic choice.

If you are interested in electric heating, consider installing a heat pump system. Read about the standards for residential furnaces. You can identify and compare a system's efficiency not only by its AFUE but also by its equipment features.

Furnaces and boilers can be retrofitted to increase their efficiency. These upgrades improve the safety and efficiency of otherwise sound, older systems. The costs of retrofits should be carefully weighed against the cost of a new boiler or furnace, especially if replacement is likely within a few years or if you wish to switch to a different system for other reasons, such as adding air conditioning.

If you choose to replace your heating system, you'll have the opportunity to install equipment that incorporates the most energy-efficient heating technologies available. Other retrofitting options that can improve a system's energy efficiency include installing programmable thermostats , upgrading ductwork in forced-air systems, and adding zone control for hot-water systems, an option discussed in Heat Distribution Systems.

Energy efficiency upgrades and a new high-efficiency heating system can often cut your fuel bills and your furnace's pollution output in half. If your furnace or boiler is old, worn out, inefficient, or significantly oversized, the simplest solution is to replace it with a modern high-efficiency model.

Old coal burners that were switched over to oil or gas are prime candidates for replacement, as well as natural gas furnaces with pilot lights rather than electronic ignitions.

Newer systems may be more efficient but are still likely to be oversized, and can often be modified to reduce their operating capacity. Energy-efficiency improvements will save money on a new furnace or boiler, because you can purchase a smaller unit.

When shopping for high-efficiency furnaces and boilers, look for the ENERGY STAR® label. If you live in a cold climate, it usually makes sense to invest in the highest-efficiency system. Specify a sealed combustion furnace or boiler, which will bring outside air directly into the burner and exhaust flue gases combustion products directly to the outside, without the need for a draft hood or damper.

Furnaces and boilers that are not sealed-combustion units draw heated air into the unit for combustion and then send that air up the chimney, wasting the energy that was used to heat the air. Sealed-combustion units avoid that problem and also pose no risk of introducing dangerous combustion gases into your house.

In furnaces that are not sealed-combustion units, back drafting of combustion gases can be a big problem. High-efficiency sealed-combustion units generally produce an acidic exhaust gas that is not suitable for old, unlined chimneys, so the exhaust gas should either be vented through a new duct or the chimney should be lined to accommodate the acidic gas see the section on maintaining proper ventilation below.

Properly functioning chimney systems will carry combustion byproducts out of the home. Therefore, chimney problems put you at risk of having these byproducts, such as carbon monoxide, spill into your home.

Most older furnaces and boilers have natural draft chimneys. The combustion gases exit the home through the chimney using only their buoyancy combined with the chimney's height. Natural draft chimneys often have problems exhausting the combustion gases because of chimney blockage, wind or pressures inside the home that overcome the buoyancy of the gases.

Atmospheric, open-combustion furnaces and boilers, as well as fan-assisted furnaces and boilers, should be vented into masonry chimneys, metal double-wall chimneys, or another type of manufactured chimney. Masonry chimneys should have a fireclay, masonry liner or a retrofitted metal flue liner.

Many older chimneys have deteriorated liners or no liners at all and must be relined during furnace or boiler replacement. A chimney should be relined when any of the following changes are made to the combustion heating system:.

Some fan-assisted, non-condensing furnaces and boilers, installed between and , may be vented horizontally through high-temperature plastic vent pipe not PVC pipe, which is safely used in condensing furnaces. This type of venting has been recalled and should be replaced by stainless steel vent pipe.

If horizontal venting was used, an additional draft-inducing fan may be needed near the vent outlet to create adequate draft. Floor furnaces may have special venting problems because their vent connector exits the furnace close to the floor and may travel 10 to 30 feet before reaching a chimney.

Check to see if this type of venting or the floor furnace itself needs replacement. If you smell gases, you have a venting problem that could affect your health. Contact your local utility or heating contractor to have this venting problem repaired immediately.

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Understanding the Efficiency Rating of Furnaces and Boilers.

Air Quality. Learning HVAC. Your Healthy fat loss. Improved fuel utilization efficiency Fuel Utilization Efficiency. AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, eficiency how Improved fuel utilization efficiency a efficciency converts fuel to heat. In simpler terms, this metric determines how much fuel your furnace is actually turning into heat for your home. Thus, the higher the AFUE rating, the more energy-efficient the system and the more heat entering your home. Efficiency efficienccy for all heating Improved fuel utilization efficiency cooling Glycemic load and glycemic response manufactured in the U. Improved fuel utilization efficiency governed by the Department of Energy. Furnaces are effficiency by the Annual Fuel Efficiencyy Efficiency AFUE ratio, which efficisncy the percent of heat produced for every dollar of fuel consumed. Like the miles-per-gallon rating on your automobile, the higher the AFUE rating, the lower your fuel costs. The most efficient models can save you hundreds of dollars a year, compared to an older or less-efficient furnace. Use our Energy Savings Calculator to find how much you can save. Based on AFUE efficiency rating of Lennox SLP98UHXV60C and leading competitive units listed in AHRI directory as of March