Although the cold Weather in Georgia isn’t as bad as other states, it still has many residents running for the thermostat. Heating up your home is a necessity during winter, but it also creates high electricity bills and extra work for your heating system. That’s why its important to finding the most efficient heating system for your Georgia home!
Whether your building your home, researching for a new one or just aiming to replace what you have…finding the right heating system can be overwhelming. Luckily, Fritts Heating and Air is here to help. We’ve compiled a few tips on what to look out for, as well as, a list of some of the best heating systems to choose from.
Types of Heating Systems
Furnaces are the most common type of heating system for residents. They are the most effective for homes that use natural gas. Furnaces use a heat exchanger to heat and a fan (or blower) to push the air through your duct system. These heat systems often have some of the highest ratings and the best affordability rates out there.
The only downside is that most furnaces are loud due to the fan (or blower) constantly pushing heat through your home. Due to this, older furnaces aren’t the most energy efficient, but luckily that has evolved over the past few decades. Now, most modern furnaces are updated with technology that boost overall heat system efficiency.
Heat Pumps combine both air conditioning and heating into one unit. On top of this, they have many advantages! Heat pumps are quiet, have top-notch filtration, and never bring outside air into your home. They are also great for the environment because they use electricity rather than fossil fuels! Although they may be more expensive than a furnace, heat pumps offer easier temperature control and energy-efficient convenience.
Here’s how it works:
- In summer: The heat pumps grab hot air from inside your home and remove the heat from it through a refrigerant and then proceeds to pump it back into your home as cooler air.
- In winter: It takes cooler air from inside and adds heat to it, and then sends it back into your home.
Heating System Efficiency
According to Forbes, the best way to define a heating system’s efficiency is by the system’s annual fuel utilization efficiency rating, or AFUE for short. This measurement, “is a percentage rate, [that] tells you how much of the energy (usually, in the form of electricity or natural gas) that the system consumes is going directly toward heating your home versus how much is going to waste.”
In short, an AFUE lets you know how much energy your heating system is actually converting into usable heat. So, the higher that AFUE score, the more efficient the device. The efficiency rating of a heating system is almost always directly affected by weather conditions. For moderate climate conditions, heat pumps are more effective than furnaces. In colder climates, a furnace can be the better choice.
If you cannot find an AFUE to determine heating efficiency, it might be easier to see if your heating system is Energy Star Certified. This means that a product uses less energy overall, plus to even earn the ranking, a product must meet criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy. Since Energy Star products use less energy, they can easily save you money on your electricity bill as well as help protect the environment by reducing emissions.
Top Choices for Heating Systems
Geothermal Heat Pumps provide the most efficient type of heating, and cut heating bills in half for most residents. They operate by using a body of water or soil as a source of heat capture and release. Due to their complex set-up and operation, they initially cost more up front, but most residents see them as a return that pays for itself. Overall they last longer than conventional heating systems, feature top-rated environmental benefits, and cost less in time.
Air Source Heat Pumps capture heat throughout the year, releasing it during the colder months. When it gets warmer, the heat pumps uses refrigerant to extract the air’s heat and exchange it for cooler air. The heating process circulates liquid refrigerant between the outdoors and indoors, transforming the liquid to gas. Once it is inside, it releases the heat it contains and warms your home. Air source heat pumps are the second best choice when it comes to efficiency!
Electric Furnaces warm your home with electricity it traps in its coils. They are typically more expensive to operate, but don’t require a fuel source (gas, oil, or propane) to operate. This means they won’t produce emissions that are harmful to the environment and your home. Most residents choose this option due to its safety and environmental friendliness!
Gas Furnaces use natural gas as a source to heat your home. Most furnace-heated homes use natural gas that regional utility companies supply for their area, but some gas lines don’t extend to deep rural areas. Some gas furnaces can cost less than an air source heat pump due to the reduced price of natural gas. Overall it does have a lower heating efficiency.
Other Ways to Boost Heating System Efficiency
Most homeowners make the mistake of buying the most efficient heating system before checking their homes. Sometimes you just need to do a bit of maintenance rather than fully replacing your heating system. Here are a few things you can do to improve the air retention in your home:
- Upgrade Your Thermostat. Manual thermostats take time, effort, and memory to properly manage. With new-age ‘smart’ thermostats you can control the temperature remotely and have it learn your heating and cooling patterns. Once it becomes streamlined, your smart thermostat will be able to adjust your heating system automatically, quickly lowering your rates overtime!
- Check Your Air-Ducts. Since your air travels through your ductwork, it’s important to make sure they are in good working condition. Continuous check-ins on your air-ducts for leaks, missing screws or even cracks will prevent heat/cool air from slipping out. You also want to check in and make sure your ductwork as a whole is tightly secure. If you notice any issues, contact your local heating and air company for further instruction.
- Seal Up Gaps. Air can easily slip in and out of your home in unexpected places. Any openings, cracks or simple degradation of seals in your home can cause warm and cool air to escape. This is a massive waste of money. Look for areas around: windows, doors, frames, moldings, outlets, pipes, and attics! Caulk or sealant can easily get rid of these gaps.
If you do decide to update your heating system, you might be eligible for for tax incentives that could help with the costs as a part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Residents are now eligible for tax credits toward certain energy-efficient home improvements.
Need Help Making An Energy Efficient Decision? Call Fritts Heating & Air!
At Fritts Heating & Air, our HVAC contractors and technicians are trained to service and repair a broad range of heating systems. When you first suspect trouble with your heating system, contact us immediately. Diagnosing and repairing HVAC problems when they are small often saves significant amounts of money over the cost of more complicated repairs that almost always occur when small problems become worse.
If your heating system is not repairable or if the cost is not worth the trouble, we can help you find the perfect new heating system that is in your budget. If you need professional and experienced heating services from expert technicians or emergency heating system service or repair, call Fritts Heat & Air at (678) 327-3897 for help!