In the past few years there has been a
great deal of talk and significant tax credits given for the efficiency
improvements in air conditioners. Home
heating technology saw similar improvements that didn't get quite as much
attention.
About 20 years ago, the most common home
furnaces were approximately 60% efficient. This means for every 100 ccf
of natural gas that was purchased, 60 ccf of gas was actually used to heat the
home, while the remaining 40 ccf of gas was wasted out the exhaust pipe.
In 1992, the minimum efficiency for a
furnace was increased to 78%, which brings us to today’s most commonly installed
furnace which operates at an efficiency level of about 80+%.
As you can imagine, since 1992 heating
technology has continued to improve. Today, homeowners have the option of
investing in furnaces that can reach efficiency of 98%! While there are
a few more installation requirements with these super high efficiency furnaces,
they are beginning to catch on and more and more of them are being installed
every year.
