Furnace Efficiency: Understanding the Difference Between 80% and 90% Efficiency

What is the difference between 80 percent efficiency furnaces and 90 percent efficiency furnaces?

Which type of furnace converts more fuel into usable heat?

Answer:

The difference between 80 percent efficiency furnaces and 90 percent efficiency furnaces is in the amount of fuel they convert into usable heat. A 90 percent efficiency furnace is more energy efficient compared to an 80 percent efficiency furnace.

When comparing 80 percent efficiency furnaces to 90 percent efficiency furnaces, the main distinction lies in how efficiently they utilize fuel to generate heat for your home. Furnaces are evaluated based on their Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating, which indicates the percentage of fuel that is converted into usable heat.

An 80 percent efficiency furnace converts 80 percent of the fuel it consumes into heat, while the remaining 20 percent is lost as waste gases. On the other hand, a 90 percent efficiency furnace converts 90 percent of the fuel it uses into heat, with only 10 percent wasted.

Therefore, a 90 percent efficiency furnace is more effective in converting fuel into usable heat, making it a more energy-efficient option. This higher efficiency can lead to reduced energy consumption and potentially lower heating bills for homeowners.