High-Efficiency House Warming

Lennox Hearth Products

Unless you’re a penguin or a polar bear, the thought of bitter temperatures during the upcoming winter season can make you shiver. But you can mitigate the cold by switching on a central heating unit that’s more efficient than ever before and achieve extra toastiness next to a fireplace that delivers better realism along with the heat, or a portable heater.

And, as we enter “flue” season, it’s comforting to know that the broad selection of home-heating equipment that is available to warm you won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

HEAT CENTER. The primary unit in any home-heating strategy is, obviously, the central system—furnace, boiler or heat pump. The good news is that the top units in all three categories continue to gain in efficiency, which translates into reduced utility bills.

Two years ago (when we last reviewed heating equipment), the highest annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating for a gas furnace was 96.7; today models by Nordyne and York top that figure. York achieves an industry-leading AFUE rating of 98.0 for models that are sold under the Coleman, Luxaire and York brands. And nearly every brand that’s on the market has at least one model that is in the super-high-efficient range, which means that it has an AFUE rating of 95.0 or above.

The improvement among gas boilers has been more dramatic. In 2008, only 11 boiler brands reached an AFUE rating of 95.0, with a top rating of 96.0. Today, 18 brands hit 95.0 and six beat 96.0. A Heat Transfer model is the new leader at 98.0. (Unfortunately, the main problem that affects oil furnaces and boilers—too much sulfur in the fuel oil—hasn’t been solved. So efficiencies remain about where they were 2 years ago and continue to lag those of gas models.)

And heat pumps finally broke through the long-standing efficiency ceiling of 19 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). Nordyne in 2009 brought to market heat pumps that achieve 22 SEER. (They’re sold under the Broan, Frigidaire, Maytag, Nutone, Tappan and Westinghouse brands.)

How? Nordyne brought the same technology that it uses in its super-high-efficiency air conditioners to its heat pumps: It replaced a heat pump’s traditional compressor with an inverter-driven compressor that varies its operating speed according to indoor temperature. Energy is saved because, instead of running only full speed or off, the speed varies, so only the amount of electricity that is required to maintain the set temperature is consumed. This is similar to the modulating technology that is used in furnaces and boilers—and it’s expensive. Nordyne’s heat pumps start at the high end of the price scale—around $6,000.

CLEARING THE AIR. With efficiency in furnaces, boilers and heat pumps just about maxed out, manufacturers are touting new features as a way to stand out from the crowd. For example, the variable-speed blower that is in four Lennox furnace models is programmed to build slowly to full speed as it starts to deliver warmth and then slowly wind down when the furnace cycles off. This process minimizes the cold drafts that some people feel at the end of cycles, Ken Ely of Lennox explains. You’ll pay at least $2,700 for a furnace that has this feature.

Meanwhile, manufacturers increasingly are adding LCD display modules to gas and oil boilers. These useful panels not only trim the time that it takes a contractor to install the boiler—and, theoretically, reduce installation cost—but they also display status reports on operation and provide fault codes that will help with service if something goes wrong. You can expect to spend at least $1,700 for a boiler that has this diagnostic/service-alert feature.