Sunday, October 30, 2011

High Efficiency Furnaces Require An Insulated Energy Efficient Home

                                                      
                                            You will find gas furnace prices at our website




Many homes more than twenty years old have inadequate insulation for high efficiency use of heating systems. Before installing a high efficiency furnace this should be remedied by installing the necessary insulation materials in the walls, roof and basement of the home.

Wall Insulation for Existing Construction


The two types of wall most often seen are ofwood-frame construction or solid brick built. For insulating a wood-frame construction wall, loose fill or foam type insulating material is blown into the cavities through holes through holes which have been drilled through the drywall on the inside of the house or through the siding on the outside. Solid brick construction walls have no cavity which is big enough for insulation. A new wall must be built inside the home and insulated during its construction, alternatively board stock along with new siding can be applied to the exterior of the home although this is somewhatless effective usually. When planning to do a cavity wall retrofit, remember the following:

Costs For Building A New Wall Are High.

Air and vapour barriers will be needed. Interior drywall itself ,when painted, is an effective air and vapour barrier. Insulation should be applied to will fill the cavity without any settling. Foam insulation can be installed and  is an air barrier in itself.

Attic Insulation

The attic is always cost-effective to insulate. The most common method used is loose fill blown between and over the ceiling joists. Alternatively fibreglass batts may be laid on top ofexisting insulation.


Basement Insulation

Basement walls have to handle moisture coming from both inside and outside the home. The most effective insulation method, is to cover walls on the outside with rigid insulation which is recommended for below ground use, for example you can use extruded polystyrene or rigid fibreglass material.

This has the following advantages:

Works very well for damp-proofing walls and for the drainage of foundations. Rigid fibreglass or mineral wool materials can be used as a drainage layer to keep water away from the foundation of the home.

The basement walls are kept at inside room temperature, which cuts down interior condensation.

The disadvantages are the high cost and also the necessity to cover the insulation above the ground.

Interior insulation methods can also be used. This is accomplished with batt insulation between the studs, or by using extruded polystyrene with strapping on the walls. The advantages of using interior insulation are lower costs and easy application. The disadvantages of interior insulation are as follows:

Any moist air which moves through the wall from inside the home will condense on the cold wall on the outside. Interior insulation should not ever be used in a basement which has had problems with moisture.

Is Insulating Your Home Really Cost Effective?

There is no doubt that good insulation systems will save you money on heating bills, and will cut energy consumption, while also making the home more comfortable for its occupants.

For more information about high efficiency furnaces check out our website  high efficiency furnaces


Monday, October 24, 2011

How To Buy A New Gas Furnace

                                            You will find gas furnace prices at our website                     


The purchase of a new gas furnace and its installation will run to several thousand dollars in many cases. It is imperative therefore that the buyer should carefully check prices from all suppliers, before a decision is made.

The first thing to do is to look at all different makes of furnace which are available and to decide on which of them fits your needs the best. It is a good idea to shop online as well as to ask for prices from local dealers. Go online and search for reviews of the furnaces, to see what owners are saying about them. Read about all the features each model has.  Then when you have decided on which model suits your needs check all local retailers, and get price quotes from them in writing--you will find that they may vary considerably.

The next step is to go online go online and check the price with all suppliers of that particular make of furnace.. Ask for a quote on shipping charges and compare the total cost with local dealer prices. There is often a wide range of prices and you need not pay any more than necessary.

The next cost to consider is that of installation. Some of your local dealers may give you a low price here  when you buy the furnace from them.  However  if they are in their busy season they will most likely charge the top price for installation, even when you buy the furnace from them.

You will need  to hire an installer needless to say if you buy online, and the furnace is shipped to your home. Be wise here and have only a certified  gas installation contractor install your furnace.  If you do not do this, the installation may well be illegal, and your insurance company will not pay if you should have a fire. Be prudent, and have only a certified technician do the installation. This may cost a bit more but it will be done properly.

Look at all the angles when you are buying a new furnace. Make sure that you buy the best furnace, which has good user reviews online, and few complaints. If you find some negative reviews or  many complaints in the comments, you would be well advised to settle on another make. Spend your money only after making certain that you are getting the best buy.

Natural gas furnace prices are highly competitive with online dealers. To get a  really good  price  check all available online suppliers, and  also those in your own locality. Remember to take into account the shipping costs which you incur by buying online, and add this to the buying price to get the final cost.

The gas furnace must be installed using a licensed contractor, who has the proper licence for gas installation. If you purchase from a local dealer and they also install, the installation cost (and hence the total installed cost) could well be less than if you buy online, and  have  a licensed contractor do the installation. All these factors should be taken into account in making the decision to purchase a natural gas furnace either locally or online.
For more information see our website gas furnace prices. To get lots of info about high efficiency furnaces take a look at high efficiency furnaces

                                                                       

Monday, October 17, 2011

Condensing Gas Furnaces Are The Most Efficient

                                                         

The most energy-efficient furnaces available are condensing gas furnaces. They are the best replacement furnace in all homes which are heated by natural gas. Here's the reason:

Condensing gas furnaces have an AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilisation Efficiency) of from 90 to 97 percent. Old furnaces commonly have AFUEs of 60 percent or even less and standard efficency furnaces have AFUEs of 78 to 84 percent.

Condensing gas furnaces use, about 33 to 40 percent less fuel than old furnaces and 10 percent less than standard efficiency units. This reduces toxic environmental emissions which may be partly responsible for climate change and air pollution.

The higher cost of purchasing a condensing gas furnace will be recovered, over a period of time, through fuel savings. An average homeowner with an old model furnace might save $300 a year or so by installing a 96% efficiency condensing gas furnace.

Condensing gas furnaces are made in all sizes to suit any home. They may be placed in the same location as the old furnace, and can use the same ductwork. All furnaces must be installed by licensed technicians. Read More


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Replacing Your Furnace

                                                       

If you have an older furnace it probably puts out more heat than you really need. Furnaces of 15 to 20 years ago and more, were almost invariably over sized for the home.. A furnace of appropriate capacity will run almost continuously on a really cold winter day.

 If  you have a furnace of the correct size for your home, you will have efficient heating for the whole heating season. An oversized furnace runs for only a short time, and never comes up to its top efficiency level. Sizing is less of an issue with modern condensing gas furnaces of high efficiency design. Because of the way they are designd to operate, condensing gas furnaces are efficient even if they are of too high heating capacity.

How do you  calculate the size for a furnace? The heating contractor will use a standard method of calculating furnace size which is derived from government agencies. Having the sizing calculated will cost you $200 – $300 using a qualified contractor.

The two most common reasons for buying a new furnace are: (1.) Your furnace is not working. It has suffered a mechanical break-down,or the old furnace has been  condemned by gas inspectors. In the winter season, with your home rapidly getting colder, you may have to make a quick decision on what to do. (2.) the furnace is aging, or fuel costs are becoming excessive. In this second case, you have plenty of time to shop for and get the best available furnace to suit your home. Read mor

Outdoor wood furnace is another possible replacement for your oil or gas furnace. Modern wood furnaces are highly efficient and save money for more information Outdoor Wood Furnace