Might a Modulating Furnace Be Your Best Option?

Might a Modulating Furnace Be Your Best Option?

Imagine your home’s heating system as a series of roads and the hot air produced by the furnace is traffic. In a traditional single-stage furnace, traffic is stop and go. Each car is either stopped or traveling at full speed and spends lots of energy shifting to either stop or attain full speed. Conversely, with a modulating furnace, cars reach top speed or come to rest in stages by shifting up or down, thus consuming less energy and creating less wear on the equipment.

When the modulating furnace first starts, it uses full force to get the building temperature to meet the thermostat setting by turning on the furnace full blast. After that, though, it turns on much more frequently than a standard furnace but at significantly lower levels. A valve modulates the gas input to the furnace, while the blower is also modulated to maintain a level of heat that stays within half a degree of the thermostat setting rather than the larger variance of a single-stage furnace.

Another huge benefit is the noise level. Although a modulating furnace at full force is equally as loud as any other furnace, the noise is diminished as the furnace shifts to a lower speed and sensors. By switching on and off as needed, a modulating furnace is far less audibly noticeable and leaves homeowners able to enjoy the warmth without being distracted by a loud furnace.

Like many green home appliances, modulating furnaces are expensive to initially install, especially compared to traditional furnaces, but these costs are mitigated by energy savings in the long run. Also like other modern house advancements, having cutting-edge technology as a part of the home heating system could help increase the building’s resale value, depending on local real estate markets.

If you’re interested in switching your home to this revolutionary new heating dynamic, please contact us at Air-Tro as soon as possible with any questions, concerns or ideas you may have. We have won several awards for our HVAC contracting services and look forward to helping you improve the quality, efficiency and comfort of your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Los Angeles, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Image courtesy of Shutterstock