What Is AFUE and Why Is It Important?

When buying a new furnace, one of the things you’ll have to take into account is the AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating. Many homeowners are confused as to what the AFUE measures, what they should be looking for in a new heating system, and how this rating compares to other distinctions.

What is AFUE?
The AFUE rating measures the gas efficiency of a furnace and is measured over a whole heating season. The AFUE shows the exact amount of heat produced for each fuel dollar spent and is expressed as a percentage; the higher the percentage, the more efficient the unit.

For example, a furnace that has a 90% AFUE means that over the course of the winter, 90% of the fuel used was converted into heat and only 10% was wasted. Older furnaces have an average AFUE of 60% while new, high-efficiency furnaces have an AFUE of nearly 99%!

What is the Best AFUE For a Home?
The higher the AFUE, the more you’ll save on monthly heating bills. If gas prices climb, you’ll be saving even more money each month. For these reasons, you’ll want to ensure that you have the most efficient heating system that you can afford.

In addition to saving money each and every month, a new high-efficiency furnace will also be more reliable than an older unit. New furnaces typically come with a 10-year parts warranty versus a 5 parts year warranty on older models. This will give you peace of mind knowing that should your furnace require a replacement part that the part itself will be at no cost to you for the first 10 years. You can also add an extended labour warranty to your new furnace to give you full coverage on parts and labour.

Don’t forget that the AFUE rating is just one half of the equation. You also have to ensure that you have the correct size furnace. We want to make this part easier for you, click here to calculate the right size for your system.

At Canada HVAC, we only offer high efficiency furnaces. We have a number of different models to fit most budgets and use an exclusive sizing calculator to ensure that the right equipment is used in your home.

Get started with Canada HVAC today!

Canada HVAC is a licensed, bonded and insured company with over 30 years of industry experience between all our partners. We work with local HVAC contractors who have been vetted and certified and together we provide air conditioning and furnace installation and repair at unbeatable prices with unmatched guarantees.