February 8, 2017

The professional guide to heating and cooling equipment

Your heating and cooling system can be different from your neighbors’—it all depends on what is important to you.To make sure you get the one that’s perfect for your home, build your system according to what’s most important to you: comfort, efficiency, quiet operation or extreme reliability.
Professional guide
For greater efficiency, look for:

Products with efficiencies no less than:

  • 90% AFUE for furnaces
  • 15 SEER for air conditioners
  • 9.50 HSPF for heat pumps
  • ENERGY STAR® qualification
  • Variable speed motors
  • Multi-stage operation
  • AHRI-matched systems
For greater comfort, look for features such as:

Variable speed motors

  • Reduce hot and cold areas throughout the home
  • Improve year-round humidity control
  • Improve indoor air quality; helps reduce dust and other allergens because of constant air movement
  • Lower monthly utility bills *

Multi-stage operation

  • Rather than being “all on” or “all off,” your furnace can adjust its heat output based on conditions inside and outside your home.
  • Get two air conditioners in one—high-efficiency products with multi-stage compressors will run on the first stage of cooling when temperatures are mild. The equipment will use less energy more often.
  • When outdoor temperatures reach extremes, the equipment will utilize the additional stage, but will still operate efficiently because of the higher SEER rating.
  • Lower monthly utility bills *
For the quietest operation, select the following:

Heating

  • Products featuring Quiet Combustion technology
  • Small Btu inputs per burner
  • Gradual start-up avoid whoosing air and duct work “popping”
  • Insulated cabinets

Cooling

  • Products with Sound Reduction Technology
  • Advanced fan blades
  • Heavy-duty sound blankets

Heat Pumps

  • Products that include QuietShift™ Technology

* Potential savings may vary depending on age and condition of equipment, personal lifestyle, system settings, equipment maintenance and installation of equipment and duct system.