Replacing Your Home Heating (NAPSA)—The next time you ——"e H consider replacing your home heating system, don’t get burned. Understand your options. Heating systemsfall into one of two categories: those that use heated air and those that rely on waterto distribute heat. Warm-air systems include electric- and gasdriven furnaces and heat pumps. Whenselecting a home heating system, it’s important to consider a brand of equipment that has a reputation for quality and reliability. Efficiency is another key consideration. The efficiency of a gas furnace is indicated by the unit’s Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. According to the experts at York Heating and Cooling, the higher the AFUE, the moreefficient the unit and the less fuel it requires to heat your home. These energy savings often offset the more expensive price tags found on higher-efficiency units. Electric furnaces are usually considered 100 percent efficient. These units, however, are often more expensive to operate because of the cost of electricity. Heat pumps significantly reduce energy costs, since these units extract heat from the outside air and circulate it through your house. (In warm weather, the process reverses, as the unit collects heat from the air inside your homeand carries it outside.) As you comparetheefficiencies of heating systems, remember to comparethe initial cost against Knowing your home heating options before installation can help save you moneyin the long run. the annual operating expense. You should also keep these points in mind: Some furnace manufacturers offer multistage and variablespeed furnaces to improveefficiency, maintain constant temper- atures and reduce soundlevels. Electronic controls on furnaces and heat pumps ensure tighter temperature control and offer the ability to program periods of temperature setback, improving both system efficiency and occupant comfort. The Affinity furnaces and heat pumps from York offer the latest features in heating technology and control systems. To learn more about these heating sys- tems, visit www.yorkupg.com or call 1-800-910-YORK.
