When purchasing a new furnace, it can be really tempting to only consider what’s on the price tag, however, what matters most is not the initial cost but the monthly energy consumption and correlated monthly utility bills that you’ll be paying throughout the life of your furnace. The next part of our furnace buying guide is understanding the different furnace ratings and efficiencies and how they impact making the right choice for the best furnace for your home.
AFUE
Furnace efficiency is measured by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) Rating. The higher the AFUE the more efficient the furnace will be. While furnaces with high AFUE ratings are more costly upfront, they will ultimately save the homeowner money by being both energy and cost-efficient month by month. Today’s high-efficiency furnaces can have an AFUE up to 96%!
BTUH
Furnace output capacity is measured in British Thermal Units per Hour (BTUH), this rating will tell you how adequately a furnace will be able to heat your home depending on the size of the space you have. It’s essential to always take your home’s square footage into account when in the market for a new furnace, but don’t count your basement.
MERV
The effectiveness of a furnace’s filter is measured by the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). Basically, the MERV reports how efficient a furnace’s filter is at removing pollutants and particles from the air of your home. The higher the MERV rating, the higher quality air your furnace can provide.