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.
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.
If contractors in colder climates focus on educating their customers on what new higher-efficiency furnaces bring to the table, often times the furnaces will sell themselves.
If you are a plumber or a trade professional who actively promotes the use of high-efficiency, condensing equipment, you should be equally energetic in treating discharge coming from this equipment with some sort of neutralization.
According to HVAC manufacturers, customers are looking for highly efficient furnaces that shave dollars off their utility bills while providing the best possible levels of comfort. As a result, most furnaces displayed at the AHR Expo were designed to meet these market demands.
Installers and specifiers know a gas appliance is only as good as the venting system it’s connected to. Poor venting can cause improper combustion, but, more importantly, can also lead to flue gas leakage into heated spaces — a problem with deadly consequences.
Bob and Tim were doing a routine seasonal service call on a high-efficiency furnace. Tim asked, “Why were the older furnaces so inefficient compared to the more modern furnaces?”
There is no question there are some chilly months ahead, and homeowners will expect their expensive condensing furnaces to operate without fail, even on the coldest days.