The Three Main Types Of Gas Furnaces
Gas furnaces are one of the most common types of central heating units available on the market today. They are highly efficient, quiet, and work to ensure that your home remains comfortable during the cold winter months. Gas furnaces can be broadly divided into three main categories, all of which operate in different ways to provide the same function. Understanding the differences between the three main types of gas furnaces can help you choose the one that best meets your home's needs.
Single Stage Furnaces
Single stage furnaces, also sometimes referred to as standard furnaces, have a single "on" stage. This means that the furnace can either be on, using a high flow of natural gas into the furnace to provide heat to your home, or it can be off. Because there is a single setting for the furnace, heat distribution can often be uneven. These types of gas furnaces tend to be the most common, because they are the most affordable, but they will use a great deal of gas when compared to other types of gas furnaces, representing higher energy costs in the long run.
Two Stage Furnaces
Two stage furnaces, like their name suggests, have two stages at which gas flows into the furnace to be burned – full and half power. This means during mild cold weather, the furnace will burn natural gas at half the maximum rate in order to provide heat to your home, while still balancing energy savings. When the temperature dips below a certain point, the furnace will begin to operate at full capacity, providing greater amounts of heat to your home. This translates into overall higher energy savings, which can help to offset the slightly higher initial cost of two stage furnaces.
Modulating Furnaces
The most expensive type of gas furnace available on the market, modulating furnaces will constantly change the amount of natural gas flowing into the furnace, usually by degrees of a single percent, in order to exactly tailor the furnace's output to the current temperature and the maximum energy efficiency. By doing so, modulating furnaces will provide the most even heat distribution of all types of gas furnaces. Modulating furnaces will use the least amount of gas of the three main types of gas furnaces, reducing your overall energy consumption and carbon footprint, but since they represent such a high initial investment, they are not the right fit for every homeowner.
To learn more, contact a company like Quality HomEnergy.
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