Energy Efficient Multi-Speed Furnaces And Air Conditioners Add Greater Comfort And Savings

(HIT) - Since the biggest users of energy in the home are furnaces and air conditioners, smart homeowners look for ways to save on their utility bills by increasing the energy efficiency of their air conditioners and furnaces.

An inefficient furnace or air conditioning system is like a thief, robbing you of dollars unecessarily spent on high utility bills. One way to beat the heat this summer—and the cold next winter—while saving on utility bills is by installing heating and cooling equipment with energy efficient multi-speed motors. Compared to older systems, the annual operating cost savings of a multi-speed furnace or air conditioning system can be as much as 40 percent. That’s why a smart homeowner will want to check out these "smart" products.

How Multi-Speed Furnaces And Air Conditioning Systems Work

Very simply, multi-speed controls in an air conditioner, heat pump, or furnace, make a home more energy efficient and more comfortable. The equipment is also less noisy, which is another way of enhancing your indoor comfort.

"Most air conditioners have single-speed motors, so they constantly cycle on and off—producing the familiar, sometimes irritating, ‘whoosh’ sound—to attain the right temperature," says Derrick Marris of Carrier Corporation, a leading manufacturer of cooling and heating equipment.

"This is not only noisy and disruptive, but it wastes energy, too. In the case of heat pumps and furnaces, frequent cycling forces blasts of cold air into the home when the unit starts up on cold days."

In contrast, an energy efficient multi-speed air conditioner, heat pump or furnace gets the house to the right temperature quickly and maintains it without constantly starting and stopping. In other words, multi-speed equipment saves energy dollars by running for longer periods of time at lower speeds.

Comfort is enhanced because thermostat temperature swings are reduced—thus providing uniform temperatures, without pockets of hot or cold air, and, for cooling, better humidity control.

"Smart" Controls Maintain Comfort

Energy efficient heating and cooling products with multi-speed motors provide optimum cooling or heating by matching their output to the cooling or heating demands of the house. These "smart" products continuously monitor home conditions and make adjustments to maintain a comfortable atmosphere.

Marris cites the example of Carrier’s Synergy 2000™ two-speed air conditioning system. The system includes a two-speed compressor which runs 90 percent of the time at low speed. It only shifts to high speed during high "load" conditions.

The indoor section of this energy efficient system, the furnace or fan coil, contains a variable-speed Integrated Controls Motor (ICM) that can automatically vary its speed. The ICM motor decides how fast it needs to run to attain and maintain the desired temperature.

"Think of a saucepan of soup on the stove," explains Marris. "It heats up to the desired temperature, but then you turn the heat down to simmer to keep it at temperature. A multi-speed system operates in similar fashion. It brings the house to the desired level of comfort, then automatically cuts back to a lower operating level to keep that comfort without expending excess energy."

Air conditioner and furnace dealers are your best source of information on energy efficient multi-speed heating cooling products. For the name of your nearest Carrier dealer, visit the company online at www.carrier.com.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center