Which Furnace Should I Choose?

15 Jul.,2024

 

Which Furnace Should I Choose?

Should I Get a Single-Stage, Two-Stage, or Modulating Furnace?

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If you&#;re getting ready to replace your home&#;s current furnace, the wide selection of brands and models can make the final decision overwhelming. That&#;s why it always helps to start with the basics: what type of furnace does your home need?

If you&#;re getting ready to replace your home&#;s current furnace, the wide selection of brands and models can make the final decision overwhelming. That&#;s why it always helps to start with the basics: what type of furnace does your home need?

To help you answer this question, we&#;re going to explain the essential characteristics, pros, and cons of the three most common furnace types for homes: single-stage, two-stage, and modulating. Just keep reading to learn more!

Single-Stage Furnaces

Of the three types of furnaces we&#;ll be discussing here, a single-stage model is the most basic. As implied by its name, a single-stage furnace has only one &#;on&#; setting. Essentially, this furnace type is either not running (turned off) or is running at full power.

Single-Stage Furnace Advantages

The greatest advantage of purchasing a single-stage furnace is its price tag. In terms of upfront cost, this type will be significantly cheaper than a two-stage or modulating furnace.

Single-Stage Furnace Drawbacks

Even though you can save a lot of money upfront by purchasing a single-stage furnace, as opposed to the other two types mentioned here, you might face some long-term disadvantages. In climates where it can get frigid during the winter, a single-stage furnace may struggle to warm up your home both evenly and efficiently, particularly if your home is two or more stories.

Because these furnaces can only run at full-power, they tend to heat up certain areas of your home quickly and then shut off before the rest of your home can achieve the same temperature. This creates hot and cold spots throughout your home. Then, to get rid of the cold spots, many homeowners will turn their thermostat up higher so that their furnace will run longer. This results in a higher energy bill.

Should I Get a Single-Stage Furnace?

If you own a smaller, one-story home, a single-stage furnace might be perfectly suitable to meet your heating needs. The furnace won&#;t have to compensate for temperature differences between upper and lower floors and therefore has a better chance of heating your home evenly.

It might also be wisest to purchase this simple furnace type if you absolutely must replace your current furnace now but know that you&#;ll be moving soon. There isn&#;t much sense in investing in an energy-saving model when you won&#;t be there to reap the benefits.

For expert heating service from highly-trained technicians, look no further than Iceberg Heating & Cooling! Give us a call at 734-410- or visit us online to schedule your appointment! We offer our services in Monroe and Canton, Michigan!

Two-Stage Furnaces

Two-stage furnaces come equipped with two separate power modes. They can run at low power or high power, depending on what the situation demands.

Two-Stage Furnace Advantages

Because of its dual power modes, a two-stage furnace can even out hot and cold spots as well as diminish temperature fluctuations in your home. Dramatic hot and cold fluctuations occur more commonly with single-stage furnaces because the unit is either running at full power or not at all. However, because a two-stage furnace can run at a lower power setting, it&#;s going to allow your home to reach an even temperature before shutting off, and it&#;s going to do this while expending less energy than a single-stage model.

Two-Stage Furnace Drawbacks

The biggest drawback accompanying a two-stage furnace is its upfront cost. The unit can provide long-term energy savings and improved comfort- -however, this means that you&#;ll generally spend a few hundred to several hundred dollars more for this furnace type than a single-stage unit.

Should I Get a Two-Stage Furnace?

A two-stage furnace will provide the greatest benefit to you if these statements match your current circumstances:

  • You own a home with two or more stories.

  • You experience uneven temperatures (hot and cold spots) in your home, or you run your furnace an extra long time to eliminate cold spots.

  • You plan to stay in your current residence for the next several years or longer.

Keep in mind that because of a two-stage furnace&#;s higher price tag, you want to make sure that you&#;ll be able to enjoy that investment in your comfort and energy savings. If you plan on moving in a year or two, a two-stage furnace might not be worth the upfront cost.

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Modulating Furnaces

If you want the most energy savings and the most on-the-dot temperature control a furnace has to offer, consider a modulating furnace. Beyond a two-stage setting, a modulating furnace can have dozens. It accomplishes this by adjusting its flame in slight increments (as little as one percent) to change the amount of heat it puts out.

Frequently you&#;ll see this furnace type accompanied by a variable-speed blower. Instead of running at just one fan speed, the variable-speed blower adjusts to help your home reach a precise, even temperature without spending excess energy.

Modulating Furnace Advantages

A modulating furnace is the most energy-efficient type you can buy. In other words, they are the most cost-effective when it comes to long-term energy savings. Top-quality modulating furnaces can achieve an incredible AFUE rating of up to 98%: up to 98 cents of one dollar you spend goes toward heating your home. With a rating like that, you&#;ll notice the difference in your energy bills right away.

Modulating furnaces also offer you more temperature control than single- or two-stage furnaces. Modulating units are designed to keep your home within one to two degrees of your desired temperature. Because of their adjustable heat settings and the variable-speed blower that they usually include, they are also able to reduce hot and cold spots significantly.

Modulating Furnace Drawbacks

Of the three furnace types discussed here, a modulating unit will usually be the most expensive to purchase. If you own a smaller, one-story home, it may not make sense to pay the upfront cost for this furnace type, especially if your current furnace type was able to meet your heating needs during its prime.

Should I Get a Modulating Furnace?

You&#;re most likely to benefit from purchasing a modulating furnace if you own a home with two or more stories, struggle with hot and cold spots, and spend a lot of money to make your home your desired temperature. Again, this is not a purchase to make if you know you&#;ll be moving soon. The upfront cost will be steep. However, the lower gas and electric bills and increased comfort in your home can make an investment in a modulating furnace well worthwhile.

Need help choosing the right furnace for your Ann Arbor home? Call Iceberg Heating & Cooling today at 734-342- for service throughout Michigan!

Everything You Need to Know about Modulating Furnaces

Everything You Need to Know about Modulating Furnaces

If you&#;re looking for a furnace that consumes less electricity, modulating furnaces can be your go-to option. However, as modulating gas furnaces is highly efficient, it&#;s a bit costlier than single-stage or two-stage gas furnaces.

 

Modulating Furnaces: Should I Really Purchase One?

Modulating Gas Furnace vs. Single & Double Stage Furnace

Modulating Furnaces

This type of furnace never runs at full capacity. Some modulating furnaces even run at as low as 40% to 50% capacity.

As modulating furnaces run at minimum capacity, they operate for a longer duration and keep a consistent temperature in your room. Again, due to this feature, modulating furnaces have an efficiency of 97% to 98%. This means that modulating furnaces consumes less fuel for heating your space. However, this gas furnace is costlier than any other type of furnace.

Single-Stage Furnace

Unlike modulating furnaces, single-stage furnaces don&#;t run for long. When the thermostat calls for heat, the single-stage furnace will blast you with hot air and make you comfortable. As soon as it meets the preset temperature, it&#;ll stop producing heat, and this cycle will continue until you turn off the furnace.

Due to this mechanism, single-stage furnaces aren&#;t that much efficient. You&#;ll notice frequent temperature fluctuation with this type of furnace. However, if you have a limited budget, single-stage furnaces can be the best heating solution for your home.

Two-Stage Furnace

This type of gas furnace can operate at two levels, say, 50% and 100% capacity. One of the key benefits of a two-stage furnace is that it&#;s quiet and provides even heating throughout the house. For homeowners who don&#;t like rapid warming, a two-stage gas furnace can be the perfect solution for them.

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Again, as a two-stage furnace runs longer, air filtration is done properly and helps to increase the indoor air quality. However, the downside of this furnace is that it&#;s costlier than the single-stage furnaces.

 

3 Main Features of the Modulating Gas Furnace

1.      Secondary Heat Exchanger

Most modulating furnaces come with both primary and secondary heat exchangers. The secondary heat exchanger absorbs the residue heat energy from the combustion and transfers it to the primary heat exchanger. Thus, it helps to use the most of the energy and increase the overall heating efficiency.

2.      Modulating Gas Valve

It&#;s the heart of a modulation gas furnace. With this valve, modulating gas furnace adjusts the heat according to the preset temperature set to the thermostat. Besides, this unique feature allows the modulating furnace to keep a consistent temperature throughout its operation and eliminate temperature fluctuations.

3.      Variable Speed Control

This feature enables the modulating furnace to function at minimum capacity and produce less noise during operation. Also, due to this feature, modulating furnace gets enough time for air filtration and protect the homeowners from airborne particles and allergens.

 

Benefits of a Modulating Furnace

1.      Modulating Furnace Cost (Operation) is Low

As I mentioned earlier, modulating furnaces cost more than the other furnace types. However, due to its high efficiency, it&#;ll save you money on fuel costs. To understand the efficiency, let&#;s look at the AFUE rating of different furnace types.

The AFUE rating of the single-stage furnace is about 85. On the other hand, the AFUE rating of the modulating furnace is about 95 or sometimes even more. From this, you can easily have an idea of how efficient a modulating furnace is.

2.      Provides Consistent Comfort

As modulating furnace operates for a longer duration, it provides consistent temperature to the homeowners. Besides, it has modulating gas valve and variable speed control, which allow the modulating furnace to provide accurate heating. Moreover, these features help to remove the cold spots and frequent temperature fluctuation.

Again, as this type of furnace operates for a longer duration, air filtration is done properly. As a result, homeowners won&#;t have to worry about airborne particles or allergens while using this furnace.

3.      Less Noise

Unlike others, modulating furnaces produce less noise. As a single-stage furnace blasts the heat at once, the healing process becomes quite noisy. On the other hand, the modulating furnace has the variable speed control feature, which allows the furnace to run at minimum capacity for a longer duration. As a result, it produces less noise while heating your space. However, you&#;ll have to remember that modulating furnace isn&#;t fully soundproof.

 

Cons of Modulating Furnace

1.      Costlier than the Other Furnace Types

As modulating furnace has some state-of-the-art features, it costs more than the other furnace types. But, if you look at the other furnace types, they lack features and efficiency. That&#;s why they cost less than the modulating furnace.

For example, a single-stage gas furnace has an AFUE rating of only 85. Besides, the single-stage furnace cannot provide even heating and produces more noise. On the other hand, the modulating furnace has an AFUE rating of 98, which is incredibly efficient. Besides, due to its features like modulating gas valve and variable speed control, it can provide consistent heating throughout its operation.

2.      High Installation Costs

When you buy a modulating furnace, you&#;ll have to spend more money on installation costs as well. Due to its two heat exchangers, the modulating furnace requires additional pipes and a drainage system, which increases the overall installation costs. However, if you already have a high-efficiency furnace installed in your home, you won&#;t have to spend more money on these additional installation costs.

 

Modulating Furnace Price

The price of a modulating furnace varies from one manufacturer to another. But on average, with installation, it&#;ll cost you around 5,000 USD to 7,000 USD.

Yes, it&#;s way costlier than the other furnace types. But you&#;ll have to consider the efficiency and comfort too.

 

Is a Modulating Furnace Worth It?

As you can see, modulating furnaces cost more than the other furnace types, and that&#;s why you&#;ll have to decide carefully. Modulating furnaces are good for houses that are 30 to 40 years old. Again, if you&#;re planning to live in a house for a long time, say five years, you should purchase a modulating furnace. Otherwise, you should go for double or two-stage furnaces.

 

Check out the relevant infographic &#; 3 Benefits of a Modulating Furnace [Infographic]

 

By the way, are you looking for an HVAC system for your home?

Check out Green Leaf Air Store where we have a wide range of residential & commercial HVAC system including: &#;

Complete Goodman HVAC System &#; Complete Trane HVAC system &#; Heat Pumps &#; Air Handlers &#; Gas Furnaces

Besides, for any Air Duct Cleaning, AC installation, AC replacement and AC repair services, call Green Leaf Air to ensure you get the best quotes and satisfying service.

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