Most homes distribute heat with the use of either a furnace or a boiler. The only difference between the two is how they dispense warm air throughout the house. Furnaces heats air and delivers it via the built-in air ducts integrated within the house. Boilers, on the other hand, use water or steam to diffuse warm air. Steam boilers work by dispersing warm air through the pipes to the steam radiators, while hot water boilers use baseboard radiators to disperse the heated air. As compared to hot water boilers, steam boilers need to operate at higher temperature.

Although boilers and furnaces y differ greatly on the way they are setup and how they dispense warm air inside the house, their effectiveness is both measured by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). New furnaces and boilers are required to display their AFUE ratings as per the order of the Federal Trade Commission. AFUE ratings is necessary to help consumers effectively compare the efficiency ratings of different models. AFUE is a term used to measure how energy-efficient an appliance is over the course of a typical year.

Essentially, AFUE can be calculated by getting the ratio of the heat output of a furnace or a boiler and then compare it to the total amount of energy that they consume. Therefore, if your heater has an efficiency rating of 90%, then it means that 90% of the energy from the heater’s fuel source are transformed into heat while the remaining 10% is extricated to the chimney or elsewhere. However, you should know that AFUE calculations does not include the heat losses in the heater’s duct system or piping lines.

AFUE ratings vary greatly depending on the type and model of the furnace or boiler. For instance, electric furnaces and boilers usually have an efficiency rating of around 95% - 100%. Meanwhile, heating units that are installed outside normally have lower ratings since they have greater jacket heat loss. To maintain optimum heating efficiency, make sure to address heating problems immediately by calling a professional heater repair technician.

The information stated above only goes to show that it is really important that you check the efficiency rating of the heating unit before finalizing the purchase to ascertain that you will be able to maximize its use without incurring expensive energy bills.