But besides the level of efficiency another key difference between the 80 afue and 95 afue furnaces is that they operate a little differently.
Furnace efficiency 80 vs 95.
Both types of furnaces have single stage or two stage heating models.
But in one scenario 80 of the fuel is used to contribute to delivering heat whereas in the other scenario 95 of the fuel is used to contribute to delivering heat.
A standard efficiency furnace provides 80 annual fuel utilization efficiency afue.
An 80 efficiency furnace burns natural gas using open combustion by pulling air from the surrounding area and exhausting the waste up the chimney.
In fact it is 16 more efficient.
That means a 95 afue furnace will cost less to run than an 80 afue furnace.
In this type of furnace 20 of the energy produced by natural gas is expelled as exhaust.
The higher cost can lead homeowners to either opt for a less efficient but cheaper replacement or to stay.
The same amount of money is spent on that fuel being used.
High efficiency furnaces offer 90 or more afue.
First of all high efficiency furnaces can have a higher price tag than standard models.
To calculate those savings simply multiply the difference in afue 95 80 15 by your monthly or yearly bill amount.
On paper high efficiency furnaces seem like a good investment both in terms of energy bills and the environment.
We recommend to everyone who buys a new furnace that they upgrade to something with a 95 afue or higher to get the most savings possible.
A 95 furnace will pull in outdoor air via a dedicated pvc pipe.
Deciding between 80 96 efficient furnaces.
The higher the afue percentage the more efficient a furnace is at converting gas into heating energy.
So a 95 furnace is more efficient than an 80 furnace.
A 95 efficiency furnace uses sealed combustion where the heating unit pulls air in from outdoors instead of using air in the home.
The same amount of fuel is used in both cases.
These days 95 afue is a common rating among new gas powered furnaces.
If your house is well constructed and insulated the waste heat from the 95 furnace should suffice even if it s the only furnace in the basement.
Assuming no mechanical problems as described above i d go with the 95 your tenant s heating bill will be approximately 16 less than with the 80 version.
We are often asked what the differences in 80 and 96 efficient furnaces are.