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Do you know how energy efficient your furnace is? Most modern furnaces and heating systems come with efficiency ratings, but if yours is old or outdated, you might be wondering how to learn more about its energy efficiency. Steve’s Plumbing & Heating in Wisconsin specializes in furnace repair and installation and the experts say there are a few ways to find out whether your furnace is guzzling energy or saving it.

Here are three ways to learn your furnace’s energy rating: 

Efficiency Ratings

Looking for the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating, or AFUE, is the most obvious way to find out how efficient your unit is. This can usually be found on the EnergyGuide sticker that came with your furnace. If a furnace is rated 95% AFUE, it means only 5% of the energy used is lost. The remaining 95% becomes heat.

Age & Pilot Lights

furnaceMany older models don’t have an AFUE rating available on the unit, but you can identify low efficiency models by their pilot lights. More specifically, if you have to re-light the pilot light each time it goes out, which is often, the furnace probably only has an approximate 60% efficiency rating. Plus, the older the unit is, the less efficient it likely is.

Inspection

Comfort is a subjective term, dependent upon the individual, but most can agree that a chill in the indoor air isn’t comfortable. If your home stays cold and you can’t maintain a steady temperature, your furnace could run continuously to overcompensate, thus running up your energy bill. If you can’t determine how energy efficient your furnace is, an experienced technician should inspect it to make the determination.

The skilled technicians at Steve’s Plumbing & Heating know what to look for and what furnace repairs can improve a system’s efficiency. Whether you need an inspection or repair, call  (715) 421-1800, or visit the company online to learn more. 

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