Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)
more HVAC definitions
The AFUE is the most widely used measure of a
furnace's heating efficiency. It measures the amount of heat actually
delivered to your house compared to the amount of fuel that you must supply
to the furnace. Thus, a furnace that has an 80% AFUE rating converts
80% of the fuel that you supply to heat -- the other 20% is lost out of
the chimney.
Note that the AFUE refers only to the unit's fuel efficiency, not its
electricity usage.
The US Department of Energy (DOE)
determined
that all furnaces sold in the US must have a minimum AFUE of 78%, beginning
January 1, 1992. Mobile home furnaces are required to have a minimum
AFUE of 75%.
The DOE's technical definition of AFUE is as follows:
The measure of seasonal or annual efficiency of a furnace or boiler. It takes into account the cyclic on/off operation and associated energy losses of the heating unit as it responds to changes in the load, which in turn is affected by changes in weather and occupant controls.
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