Gas furnaces, electric air conditioning, heat pumps and more--how do homeowners and contractors decide which is best for a particular building? Dependent on climate, insulation and other factors, each type of HVAC product has its own advantages and disadvantages for each individual project, and each can bring significant savings on energy costs to the end user.
Gas-burning furnaces are seeing increased sales right now in new homes. "Our industry goes in cycles," says Kathy Barcomb, product marketing specialist for
Lennox. "Right now, we have a big residential new construction boom, but we'll have a retrofit boom in the future."
Newer gas furnaces
feature variable-speed capability--allowing furnaces to operate on more than one level of output. This ability results in furnaces that operate for longer periods of time, but using much less power, creating a more consistent indoor temperature for residents. Of course, if a home isn't already equipped with a natural gas line, installation costs can outweigh the benefits of gas products.
Air conditioners are also seeing increased use in residential homes. According to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, nearly 50 percent of all U.S. homes have air conditioning and in 1996, 81 percent of all new homes constructed were equipped with central air conditioning. Newer
air conditioners can use a coolant that will not release ozone-depleting CFCs, but, on average cost $200 more than conventional conditioners, and that cost gap is increasing as demand for units increases.
One option often overlooked by contractors and homeowners is the heat pump. Powered by electricity, heat pumps collect hot air from within a home and expel it outdoors during hot seasons and collect warm air from outdoors during cold weather and bring it indoors. Heat pumps can effectively heat a home during cold weather, and can also operate in conjunction with a gas-burning system, although they operate best in low-humidity climates without severe winter weather.
HVAC products are one category of products in which higher-priced, better-quality units dramatically save users money over time. More efficient units, installed in their ideal setting save homeowners money on monthly gas and electric bills. Initial investments are earned back within a few years, and longevity of these products also increase. According to the Kiplinger Letter, the average for most HVAC product savings is as follows:
ComponentCost InstalledLife SpanCost/YearCentral air conditioning (high efficiency)$3,87513 years$298Central air conditioning (economy)$3,4758 years$434Electric furnace (high efficiency)$1,92520 years$96Electric furnace (economy)$1,62513 years$125Gas furnace (high efficiency)$1,85016 years$116Gas furnace (economy)$1,35010 years$135Source: The Kiplinger Letter and The Kiplinger Washington Editors Inc.