Energy Star Condensing Gas Furnaces Owner's Manual

Heating WithGas

40°C (104°F) is pumped slowly through the pipes and radi-ates heat into the house. Thick carpets can reduce effec-tiveness significantly by acting as

are in place, models that do not comply with the standardare no longer allowed on the market where the standardapplies.“STANDARD” AND “MID-EFFICIENCY”

2. BASIC HEATING EQUIPMENT FORGAS-FIRED SYSTEMSMost natural-gas-fired heating systems today are eitherforced-air or hydronic (hot water) systems as no

GAS FURNACE WITH AUTOMATIC VENT DAMPERA vent-dampered gas furnace has a vent damper in the flueexhaust, downstream of both the furnace heat exchangera

The “on-off” fan control pointers have usually been set foran “on” temperature of 66ºC (151ºF) and an “off” tempera-ture of 49ºC (120ºF). To increase

Figure 5 Balancing damper in the supply duct In some forced-air distribution systems, balancing dampersmay be located in the secondary warm air ducts

you are sleeping or not at . . . continuedhome and at 20ºC (68ºF) when you are awake and at home.Experiment with the unit until you find the most comf

efficiency, or AFUE, as of 1999 is 80 percent (see Chapter 3).Figure 6 Schematic of a hydronic (hot water) heating system MAXIMIZING EFFECTIVENESSThe

Outdoor ResetMost hydronic heating systems have the boiler temperatureset for 82ºC (180ºF). A device that has reduced energy con-sumption in many hydr

3. NEW STANDARD- AND HIGH-EFFICIENCY FURNACES AND BOILERSOver the last 20 years, a new generation of higher-efficiencygas furnaces and boilers has com

Heating With GasProduced by Natural Resources Canada’sOffice of Energy EfficiencyEnerGuideThe Heating and Cooling Series is published by EnerGuide,an

High-Efficiency Condensing Gas FurnacesCondensing gas furnaces are the most energy-efficient furnaces available, with seasonal efficiencies of between

Sealed Combustion In a sealed combustion system, outside air is piped directlyto the combustion chamber, and the furnace does not drawany air from ins

(usually stainless steel) that extracts latent heat remainingin the combustion by-products by condensing the combus-tion products before they are exha

Figure 11 Schematic of high-efficiency combined space and water heating system Standard-efficiency gas-fired combined systems also exist,but their ov

Looking AheadResearch and development is ongoing in the field of furnace efficiency. There have been recent developments inblower motors.HIGH-EFFICIEN

Heat is circulated by natural convection or with a circulat-ing fan. Units are available with AFUE ratings between 60 and 82 percent.A direct-vent, ga

the testing method that all gas fireplaces sold in Canadamust adhere to. Energy Efficiency ConsiderationIf you are looking for a gas fireplace, consid

48 495. COMPARING ANNUAL HEATINGCOSTSThe combination of heating load, energy source and equip-ment efficiency determines the annual cost of heating.He

HEATING COSTS WITH DIFFERENT ENERGYSOURCESYou may be interested in calculating the cost of heatingwith gas compared with the cost of heating with othe

52 53TABLE 3Typical Heating System Efficiencies andEnergy SavingsEnergy Technology Seasonal EnergySource Efficiency Savings(AFUE) % (% of Base1) Natur

ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Chapter 1 The Five-Step Decision-Making Process for Home Heating

54 55Step 4. Use the FormulaThe annual heating cost is calculated as follows:Equation 3Energy Cost/Unit Heating LoadHeating100 000 =Energy Content

56 57Before settling on the size of furnace, you should ask thecontractor to provide you with the calculation results,including a summary of the gener

58 59– removal of any existing equipment that will not be used with the new system– all related costs, such as subcontracts with tradespeople• a cle

60 617. MAINTENANCEServicing MaintenanceMany gas utilities offer a maintenance service (oftenthrough contractors) that includes an annual furnaceinspe

62 63The advantage of high-efficiency condensing furnaces isthat they eliminate the need for a chimney and are thusvented out the side wall of the hou

8. GAS WATER HEATERS ANDOTHER EQUIPMENTIf natural gas is being supplied to your home for spaceheating purposes, you also have the option to use gas fo

Power-Vented Gas Water Heaters To make water heaters compatible with the new standard-and high-efficiency furnaces, manufacturers have developednew fr

• Insulate the hot water pipes to reduce heat loss from thepipes themselves. Pipe insulation is available in a varietyof materials and thicknesses, wi

ENERGUIDE FOR CHOOSING THE MOSTENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTSWhen shopping for household appliances, office equip-ment, lighting products and windows and d

NOTES NOTES

2 3HEATING WITH GASIntroductionIf your present home-heating system is costing too muchto operate or is in poor condition or if you are planning onbuyi

NOTES

Leading Canadians to Energy Efficiency at Home, at Work and on the RoadThe Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada strengthens and expand

Gas Heating TermsMeasuring upThe heating capacity of appliances may be expressed in kilowatts (kW), British thermal units per hour (Btu/h)or megajou

1. THE FIVE-STEP DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR HOMEHEATINGIn this chapter, each of the five steps in the decision-making process for home heating is des

systems, and other design features that cut heating require-ments by as much as 30 percent compared with conven-tional construction. For more informat

2. Choice of energy source and its unit price. Each energysource is measured and priced differently. Natural gas ispriced in cents per cubic metre (¢/

Step 4. Selecting or Improving Your HeatDistribution SystemMost heating systems today are either forced-air systems orhydronic (hot water) systems. Th