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Before you make a decision, comâ€" pare the prices and efficiencies of furnace types and consider the instalâ€" lation and operating costs of each. Ensure that whatever furnace you choose is certified by the Canadian Gas Association or other approved testing agency. Homeowners shopping for a new furnace can purchase either a convenâ€" tional natural gas unit equipped with fuelâ€"saving, efficiencyâ€"improving devices, or one of the new energyâ€" efficient designs. This rating reflects a furnace‘s perâ€" formance throughout the heating seaâ€" son and can only be determined under extremely controlled (i.e., laboâ€" ratory) conditions. To make an informed choice, you should be aware of the following Seasonal efficiency ratings considâ€" er the furnace‘s performance not only during its peak period, but also durâ€" ing the less efficient startup and coolâ€" down periods. Steadyâ€"state efficiency measures the performance of a furnace during its most efficient period: after the furâ€" nace has warmed up and before the burner shuts off. Furnace efficiency refers to the amount of available heat that the sysâ€" tem delivers to the rooms in a house. Two types of efficiency are imporâ€" tant: steadyâ€"state and seasonal effiâ€" ciency. The highâ€"efficiency natural gas furnaces on the market today offer fuel savings and efficiency far superiâ€" or to the equipment sold several years ago. Fuel savimgs and efficiency §338â€"2000 JOYCE/COLLEEN PICKETT 338â€"2000 JOYCE/COLLEEN PICKETT 338â€"2000 Highâ€"efficiency furnaces are equipped with an additional damper (downstream of the draft hood), which opens automatically when the furnace begins to operate and closes when the heating cycle is finished. These devices can improve seasonal efficiency and result in fuel savings of 5% to 15%. Three major natural gas furnace designs differ significantly from conâ€" ventional furnaces. The inducedâ€"draft fan furnace, sealed combustion furâ€" nace and condensing furnace all offer improved steadyâ€"state and seasonal efficiencies, as well as fuel savings. Furnaces with inducedâ€"draft fans mechanically expel combustion gases to the outdoors. Because they do not Most conventional furnaces are also equipped with a draft hood that allows heat to be lost up the chimney when the furnace is operating, and heated house air to escape when the furnace is not operating. This waste of energy is eliminated in furnaces equipped with an electric ignition system, in which the pilot light is activated only when the therâ€" mostat indicates that the furnace should come on. The pilot light shuts off with the gas burner at the end of the heating cycle. Many conventional natural gas furnaces use a constantly lit (standâ€" ing) pilot light, which can account for 5% to 7% of the gas used by the furâ€" nace. points. _ Two of the biggest energy culprits in a natural gas furnace are the pilot light and the chimney. y WE ARE SERIOUS $171,500 NEARLY NEW $186,000 cCO *CALL BRENDA CLARK, Sales Representative, 842â€"7000 0 06 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0 0 06 0 6 o 0 o o 0 o o o o o o Condensing gas furnaces contain an additional heat exchange surface that collects extra heat in two stages: as the hot flue gases pass over the The most efficient natural gas furâ€" nace available, however, is the conâ€" densing gas furnace, offering steadyâ€" state efficiency of 89% to 97%, seaâ€" son efficiency of 85% to 95% and fuel savings of 30% to 37% over conâ€" ventional furnaces. Sealed combustion gas furnaces are a relatively new development. In this design, combustion air is mechanically drawn into the furnace and combustion gases are expelled by natural convection or mechanically. rely on convection to draw air out, chimneys servicing these units are much smaller. This helps reduce the amount of heat lost up the chimney, resulting in fuel savings of up to 20%. $451,000 CENTURY HOME + CABIN/35A/16 MI. CRK./KELSO $349.900 CUSTOM BUNGALOW/.3A/S. OF LAKESHORE $549,9200 GEORGIAN COLONIAL/RAVINE/E. OAKVILLE $699 .900 BUNGALOW/1.2 ACRES/PRIME E. OAKVILLE DOES A FABULOUS LOT/PROPERTY INTEREST YOU? Time, effort and money spent on draftproofing will be well rewarded. An energyâ€"efficient house combined with a correctly sized, efficient heatâ€" ing system will result in enhanced comfort and reduced energy conâ€" sumption year after year. Insulating and draftproofing are sensible ways to reduce the amount of heat required to keep your house comfortable. By undertaking these energyâ€"saving measures before you buy a heating system, you can choose a furnace to meet the new heating requirements of your house. surface, and as the water vapor conâ€" tained in the flue gases condenses and releases latent heat. Combustion products are expelled to the outside through a small tube, eliminating the need for a draft hood and conventionâ€" al chimney.