Today homeowners are more interested in energy efficiency than ever before. This is a good thing. One of the major energy consuming appliances in the home is the furnace. In fact, it can account for over half of your energy bill during peak usage. That is why it is so important to know if your heating system is efficiently converting fuel into heating power with minimal waste. The best way to ensure efficiency is with routine maintenance and furnace repair in San Jose, CA.

If you are wondering about the efficiency of your unit you can check the sticker with the model and serial number. The efficiency is typically included on the sticker and is labeled as the annualized fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). This percentage represents the ratio of heat produced for every dollar of fuel consumed. So the higher the AFUE rating the more efficient it is and the lower your fuels costs will be.

For example, a furnace with a 95 percent AFUE converts 95 percent of gas into usable heat and only wastes about five percent of fuel through leaks or inefficient burners. A unit is considered high-efficiency if it has an AFUE of 90 or above. No system will be 100 percent efficient, but manufacturers today can get pretty close. And the most efficient models could save you hundreds of dollars per year.

Furnaces today are way more efficient than the furnaces of even just 15 years ago. Most furnaces from the 70s had an AFUE of about 65 percent. Through the 80s and 90s, AFUE ratings rose to about 80 percent. And today the industry-leading AFUE is up to 98.7 percent on the most efficient models. And as of January 1, 2015, all furnaces manufactured in the United States must have a minimum AFUE of 81 percent and to earn an ENERGY STAR label it must have a minimum 90 percent AFUE.

All that said, the AFUE means very little if the unit is clogged, dirty, or malfunctioning. The heating and air conditioning in your home is a complicated system. Any number of things could go wrong and diminish efficiency. This is why regular maintenance from a professional HVAC technician is so important. You should be getting the furnace checked once a year. And keep in mind that each year the system misses a maintenance check and tune-up it can lose five percent of its efficiency on average.

If you need to schedule an annual furnace repair in San Jose, CA call the experts at Pelle Heating & Air Conditioning. We perform regular energy audits and testing to help homeowners figure out how efficient their system is and where they can save money. We want to help make sure your unit lives up the AFUE rating on that sticker. To set up an appointment call (408) 978-7060. Or if you have questions about getting a more efficient unit you can stop by 1045 N 10th St., San Jose, CA 95112.