Most homes in the United States use either boilers or furnaces to provide for heating needs. A boiler heats a home by creating either hot water or steam. Hot water boilers are generally more efficient than steam boilers. Natural gas, oil, propane, and electricity are some examples of the fuel sources which a boiler may use.
A furnace heats air as opposed to water to serve its purpose. Natural gas is the most common fuel source for a furnace to use. Oil, coal, wood, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are other possibilities.
The annual fuel utilization efficiency, or AFUE, denotes the efficacy of a burner or furnace. It represents the percentage of fuel which actually becomes heat for the home. For instance, if a furnace or boiler has a 95% rating, then 95% of the fuel becomes heat while 5% is lost elsewhere. Instead of representing a peak percentage, the AFUE measurement seeks to show the average efficiency of a device for an entire season.
Retrofitting a furnace or boiler is a common option for improving efficiency. Because they are fuel-specific, retrofit options will be affected by whether a furnace or boiler is oil-fired or gas-fired.
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