During last winter’s heating season, this publication looked ahead to July, when new Fan Efficiency Rating (FER) requirements would go into effect. Industry sources expected FER to represent a substantial nudge toward ECM motors — including their attractive efficiencies and larger price tag — for furnace manufacturers.
A few months on the other side of summer and its FER implementation, how do things look? A check-in with aftermarket motor veterans and a furnace OEM show that while much of the transition has gone largely to plan, room for some misunderstanding or misinterpretation has remained.