Can you convert a low eficciency gas furnace to a high efficency gas furnace?

Answer 1

While it's not 100% accurate to say that you can convert a low-efficiency furnace to a high-efficiency furnace, there are things you can do to improve the accuracy of your existing furnace. You can approach this in two ways: retrofitting your old furnace with new equipment or taking steps at home to improve your efficiency.

Retrofitting Your FurnaceRetrofitting your furnace involves adding new components to your old system. When you are considering retrofitting your existing furnace with new equipment, it's important to consider whether or not the cost of the retrofit will be worth it. This will depend on when you think you're going to replace the furnace (after all, all the retrofits in the world won't extend your furnace life forever). The most common types of retrofits are:

• Vent dampers - a vent damper prevents the loss of heat from the chimney by closing off the vent when the furnace isn't firing. Installing vent dampers is more common with steam boilers than furnaces.
• Intermittent ignition devices - many older furnaces have a pilot light that is on constantly. An intermittent ignition device will light the pilot only when necessary, saving you a little in fuel costs.
• Derating gas burners - while not always allowed by building codes, it is possible to reduce the heating capacity of an oversized furnace system to make it more efficient. This should only be performed by a qualified HVAC technician, as it can be quite complicated.

Improving Furnace EfficiencyIf the thought of retrofitting your furnace with upgrades that may not pay off in the long run is a little upsetting, there are steps you can take at home to improve the efficiency of your furnace.

• Change the filters - this is the easiest way to improve your furnace efficiency. Filters should be replaced monthly to ensure the most efficiency.
• Lower the blinds at night - drapes and curtains can serve as insulation to keep heat from escaping through the windows. During the day, open the blinds to let heat from the sun shine through.
• Insulate your ducts - since warm air flows through the ducts into your home, it is important to make sure that heat stays in the ducts instead of seeping through the bowels of your home. This is especially important in places like the garage, which are typically unheated and can seriously compromise the efficiency of your ducts.