If you're planning to replace your aging furnace, it's good to learn more about technological advancements like two-stage furnaces that can improve your comfort and lower your energy bills. If you have a single-stage furnace now, here's a helpful overview of how it differs from a two-stage model.
Single-Stage Vs. Two-Stage Furnace Technology
The key difference between single and two-stage furnaces is in the gas valve:
- A single-stage furnace has a fixed gas valve that only allows it to operate at one level of heat output. These furnaces always run at full capacity, so they work best in a climate where the outdoor temperatures are extremely cold consistently.
- A two-stage furnace is equipped with a two-position gas valve, and it's designed to automatically transition between low and high levels of heat output. The low setting produces about 60 – 65 percent of the furnace's total output of BTUs, while the high setting puts out the unit's full capacity. A two-stage furnace is well-suited to our typical winter weather with its fluctuating temperatures.
Benefits of Owning a Two-Stage Furnace
The ability to save energy by using a lower fuel output setting when the weather is milder is a big benefit of owning a two-stage furnace. In addition to spending less on home heating, there are other benefits of opting for two-stage furnace technology too, including:
- Better temperature control. With your current furnace, you're likely used to feeling a blast of heat followed by a chill every time it cycles on and off. Because a two-stage model automatically switches between low and high output as necessary, the temperature in your home stays more consistent and comfortable.
- Less noisy operation. You'll notice less noise when your two-stage furnace is running, because it's often operating on the lower setting.
- Longer equipment lifespan. Running on low also means there's less wear and strain placed on your heating system components, so you can expect them to last longer than a single-stage furnace.
To learn what the differences between single- and two-stage furnaces can mean in your Middletown home, contact us at C.R. Wolfe Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 845-367-4482.
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