The ACEEE strongly recommends a condensing furnace (AFUE 90% or higher), unless you live in a warm climate (in this case, you may want to consider retrofitting your system with a heat pump instead). 

Did you know that all of Westinghouse Water Heating's high efficiency units are condensing? Westinghouse water heaters are leading products in the heating and hot water industry. With state of the art technologies and a focus on high efficiency water heating, Westinghouse water heaters pave the way in the heating industry and provide some of the best water heaters. One of the key components to Westinghouse water heater's success is the use of new technology along with its aesthetically pleasing stainless steel tanks. We are constantly developing new ways to improve the technology of our products and our process. Our goal is to raise heating efficiency while keeping water heater costs low. Head to our site to check out our products, or purchase one today! 

Calculate Your Return on Investment with these tips from ACEE! Calculate how much money you will save by switching to a high efficiency heating system. 

If you have an idea of how much it will cost to install a new system, use the chart below to calculate how much money you are likely to save each year with a more efficient system, and what your return on investment is likely to be. Remember, when fuel prices go up, your savings will go up.

1. Calculate Dollar Savings per $100 of Annual Fuel Cost

To determine savings from the table to the right, find the horizontal row corresponding to the old system's AFUE, then choose the number from that row that is in the vertical column corresponding to the new system's AFUE. That number is the projected dollar savings per hundred dollars of existing fuel bills. For example, if your present AFUE is 65% and you plan to install a high-efficiency natural gas system with an AFUE of 90%, then the projected saving is $27 per $100. If, say, your annual fuel bill is $1,300, then the total yearly savings should be about $27 x 13 = $351.

2. Calculate Return on Investment

ROI = first year savings ÷ installed cost

example:
ROI = $351 ÷ $2,500 = 0.14 = 14

 

 

(Original article: http://aceee.org/node/3065#savings)

We came across this article from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and thought it would be helpful to some of our readers!

Decide Whether to Replace Your Existing System

If your furnace or boiler is older than 20 years, chances are it is a good investment to replace it with a high-efficiency model with the guidance of a good contractor. Also consider a replacement now if your system is one of the following:

• Old coal burner that was previously switched over to oil or gas
• Old gas furnace without electronic ignition. If it has a pilot light, it was probably installed prior to 1992 and has an efficiency of about 65% (the least efficient systems today are 80%)
• Old gas furnace without vent dampers or an induced draft fan (which limit the flow of heated air up the chimney when the heating system is off).

If your furnace or boiler is 10–20 years old, and you are experiencing discomfort or high utility bills, hire a highly-qualified home performance or heating contractor who can help you evaluate your existing system. Often it will be more cost-effective to improve house insulation and air-tightness, repair or insulate ductwork, or tune up your system before purchasing a new one. 

(Original article: http://aceee.org/node/3065#replace) 

We are pleased to announce that we have recently updated our ecommerce store. 

Our updated Shop Westinghouse online store has added content on product pages, including unqiue product descriptions. Product descriptions now include warranties, Energy Guide links, return policies, etc. It also has easy to access "contact us" links if you are in need of further assistance. 

Shop Westinghouse is now also equipped with a "quick view" feature, making it easy for you to quickly review a product without going to a seperate page. 

Visit the site!