Furnaces

Gas Furnace Choices

Furnace efficiencies over the last 20 years have increased partly due to public demand and largely to government legislation. In the early nineties manufactures had to either completely change designs to meet minimum requirements of 78% or to tweek their old furnaces just enough to make it. In general and for a long time gas furnaces were coming in at around 80% efficiency. These are now regarded as "Mid" efficiency models and have become obsolete under new rules requiring 90% plus standards.

These new "condensing" furnaces produce a constant but slow volume of liquid which is dealt with easily by the installer by pumping or piping to drain either inside the home or to the outside. Venting is no longer by large chimney liners but small CPVC pipes which usually pass through an outside wall, although if the chimney is straight with no bends it is sometimes possible to use that route to exit. Combustion air is brought in the same way through a separate pipe which means the furnace no longer pulls air from inside the building. The furnaces we install to replace old oil furnaces are now almost exclusively 95 plus % and in order to qualify for maximum grant money this is what we use.

Noise Levels

A common complaint due to high speed blowers and to the "inducer" fans required to expel flue gases, noise levels have sometimes increased over the old slower belt driven blowers. Homeglow has done much to come up with the right model with the lowest level of noise and is pleased to offer the best of American Standard (Trane) product line to do the job.

Listed in the top ten for efficiency and performance it is the quietest furnace we have come across among the new breed of 95 % two stage variable speed blower models required for both government grant applications. In particular we have adopted the PREMIUM 95 as a standard model on which to include in our package pricing.

Preminum 95

With a lifetime warranty of the heat exchanger and a ten year all parts coverage as part of the price, this manufacturer is telling us he is standing by his product. Optional labour protection programs are offered and your installer as a registered dealer has factory backup and technical facilities second to none. This is a great comfort to people like us who try hard to give proper service and attention when needed.

Be sure to visit our Package Price Specials page as this will give you a good idea of what to expect. Our time is free but we don't like to waste it.

Why Should You?

Most of our work concerns the replacement of old oil fired furnaces and their replacement with the new gas models. it is rare we find an old oil furnace which can develop more than 60% in heat transfer to the home, often it is much less. As the new furnace in ideal conditions operates at 95% plus, we have a potential gain of 35% improvement in performance.

Currently the cost of oil is around 40% more than natural gas, so do the math and work it out for yourself!

Furnace Function

The new two stage, variable speed furnace function is unique and for the first time the furnace will follow the requirements of the home by changing it's output according to the thermostat demand, rather than just turning the furnace on and off, either at full blast or nothing at all.

The two stage function means that at first the furnace burner and blower will kick in at around two thirds of it's capacity and stay there until the thermostat demands more heat and air to catch up with requirements. When needed or when the operator tuns up the thermostat from cold to much higher. The furnace will come on in high mode at full capacity until the required temperature is achieved, then cut back to the lower setting or turn off. The blower will follow the burner output so as not to overheat the furnace plenum and cause lockout.

All this means that instead of the furnace coming on full speed just to replace a few lost degrees, it will modulate itself according to demand so with luck and better weather, will operate more economically for most of the year.

As furnaces are chosen in size to heat a home during the worst winters, they are clearly oversized for most of the clement conditions of our coast in Spring and Fall. It makes sense to be able to turn them down and not have them at full blast when a little heat would do.

The blower motor is designed to change it's speed by ramping up and down following the burner. This may mean a noise change which although not loud, may be detected along with the vent blower motor as different noises to replace the old ones. This is not usually a problem depending on the furnace and ducting siting, but it is one of the reasons we have sought out the furnace we think will be the most acceptable noise-wise.