New Government Furnace Requirements

In 2007, the U.S. Congress passed the Energy
Security and Independence Act (the “2007
Energy Bill”). This bill set a new precedent by
allowing the Department of Energy (DOE) to
develop regional standards for the installation
location of heating and cooling equipment.
In northern states, high-efficiency furnaces
are required after May 1, 2013.
Will This Affect You?
Those who will be impacted the most by the
new regional standards are people that live in
the North Region and have a non-condensing
gas furnace. The upcoming regional standards
will require that gas furnaces installed in the
North Region have at least 90% Annual Fuel
Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating, compared
to the current 78% AFUE, effectively excluding
the use of non-condensing furnaces and requiring the installation of condensing furnaces
in the North Region

What Will You Do?
The new regional standards will require the installation of condensing furnaces in the North
Region starting on May 1, 2013. It may be wise
to upgrade your current, older non-condensing
gas furnace for a new non-condensing gas
furnace before that date. Otherwise, you will
likely be required to install a condensing
furnace and deal with the added complications.
Your HVAC contractor can provide an estimate
that includes both furnace options.