U.S. Senator Ted Cruz is leading the charge to assist HVAC contractors in pushing back on the final rule on gas furnace efficiency standards from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The rule will effectively ban the sale of non-condensing gas furnaces and, according to the American Gas Association (AGA), will affect 55% of U.S. households.
Taking a look at the major concerns around replacing an 80% furnace with a high-efficiency one such as venting requirements, drilling extra holes, and financial costs.
The final rule from the U.S. Department of Energy, issued recently, requires newly manufactured indoor residential gas furnaces to be at least 95% efficient starting in December 2028, meaning furnaces made after then will have to be condensing models.
A Google search for terms like “furnace” or “heat pump” will yield information on how the system works and its efficiency, plus side-by-side comparisons and, if applicable, available financial incentives that can defray the consumer’s costs.
The NPF Hydro-furnace, Navien Inc.'s first HVAC product, claims an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 97% and can be outfitted to burn either natural gas or liquid propane.
Residential gas furnaces must all have a minimum AFUE of 95% beginning in five years. Some in the HVAC industry say the new Department of Energy rule will ultimately hurt homeowners.
The latest rule will require every mobile home gas furnace — and every new residential, non-weatherized gas furnace — to have a minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency (or AFUE) of 95% starting in late 2028.