Asked by: Margene Keeler
home and garden indoor environmental quality

What is a 2 stage gas furnace?

30
Two-stage heating means the furnace has two levels of heat output: high for cold winter days and low for milder days. Since the low setting is adequate to meet household heating demands 80% of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and provides more even heat distribution.


In this way, is a 2 stage furnace better?

A two-stage furnace runs at 70% capacity most of the time it is heating. This gives you better efficiency. The heat cycle is longer, but more consistent. The most efficient two-stage furnaces are 95% to 97% efficient.

Additionally, what is the benefit of a 2 stage furnace? Benefits of Two-Stage Heating Typically, a two-stage furnace runs on the lower setting around 75% to 80% of the time. This setting offers a number of advantages: A steady flow of warm air keeps temperatures consistent and even throughout your home. Lower fan speed means less noise.

Hereof, how does a two stage gas furnace work?

A two-stage furnace works by using a different set of programming than a normal one-stage furnace. Simply put, when it is only moderately cold inside, then the furnace's control board opens the fuel control valve to the partially open position, and heats the house to the desired temperature before turning off.

Do I need a 2 stage thermostat for a 2 stage furnace?

The thermostat only kicks in the second stage if the furnace can't maintain 6 to 8 degrees per hour. A two-stage thermostat may need more wires than your current programmable thermostat. If you plan to keep your home at a constant temperature, you don't need a two-stage thermostat.

Related Question Answers

Kathryn Dardenne

Professional

Is a two stage furnace worth the money?

A two stage furnace is NOT more efficient than a single stage furnace. It will not save you any money on your utility bills compared to a single stage furnace. In other words, a 95% efficient furnace is 95% efficient whether its running in low or high fire.

Earnest Zschieck

Professional

What are the best gas furnaces?

Here's a quick roundup of some of the best furnace brands on the market today:
  • American Standard Furnaces. American Standard furnaces units are one of the most reliable brands in the business.
  • Amana Gas Furnace Units.
  • Bryant Furnaces.
  • Carrier Furnaces.
  • Daikin Furnaces.
  • Goodman Gas Furnaces.
  • Lennox Furnaces.
  • Rheem Furnaces.

Dionisio Rabin

Professional

Is a variable speed furnace worth the extra money?

The best news … a variable speed furnace motor is 80–85% more efficient than a standard furnace motor. So, if you are going to upgrade from a 90% to a 96% efficient furnace make sure it has a variable speed furnace motor, and you could enjoy energy savings of up to $400 a year. Otherwise it's not worth the investment.

Eliezer Hancke

Explainer

What is the most reliable furnace brand?

Most and Least Reliable
Ruud, Trane, and American Standard are among the more reliable natural gas furnace brands, whereas Goodman, Lennox, and Amana are among the less reliable brands.

Fortunata Kuhaupt

Explainer

How often should a 2 stage furnace cycle?

Energy Savings
Most systems should run about 2-3 cycles per hour. How long should the furnace or AC run in a given cycle? Typically 10-15 minutes in mild weather. The closer you get to the max design temperature in heating (0 Degrees) or cooling (90 Degrees) the longer the run cycle will be.

Estelia Quoniam

Explainer

Should I buy a high efficiency furnace?

High-efficiency furnaces do a better job of transferring the heat they generate into your house instead of up their chimneys. This results in you using less energy to run them, potentially lowering your heating bill. In exchange for their ability to save you money, they're more mechanically complex and more expensive.

Nadi Tesch

Pundit

Who makes Airtemp furnaces?

Airtemp manufactures furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, air handlers, packaged heating and cooling systems. Airtemp is a subsidiary of Nortek, which had net sales of approximately $2.5 billion in 2017.

Cayla Rodriguez De Guzman

Pundit

Is it better to rent or buy a furnace?

Renting a furnace is also cheaper initially, since you make low monthly payments. However, these payments disappear, with companies needing continual rent, whereas, when you buy a furnace, the costs have an end and result in new property.

Dyan Gukasov

Pundit

What components are added to make a two stage furnace?

What components are added to make a two stage furnace? A two stage gas valve, two draft proving switches, and a two speed induced draft fan.

Anes Fonts

Pundit

Is a two stage furnace more efficient?

Two-Stage Furnace Pros
Better efficiency - Because the temperature is more consistent, two-stage furnaces are more energy efficient. They use less fuel because they're not pumping out unnecessary heat or constantly cycling off and on to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Ibor Olivira

Teacher

What does Stage 2 Heat mean?

Two-stage heating means the furnace has two levels of heat output: high for cold winter days and low for milder days. Since the low setting is adequate to meet household heating demands 80% of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and provides more even heat distribution.

San Quach

Teacher

Can I use a single stage thermostat with a 2 stage furnace?

Re: Two Stage Thermostats for Two Stage Furnace
Using a 2 stage thermostat will not harm the furnace. And because the control board is compatible with a single stage thermostat, the furnace will still operate both stages. The control board would, as you say, start the second stage after about 10 minutes.

Domina Abamelek

Teacher

How do you size a furnace?

How to Calculate the Right Size Furnace
  1. Calculate the square footage of your home.
  2. Find out What Climate Zone Your Home Is InClimate is another factor that helps determine how many BTUs you need to heat your home.
  3. Multiply your square footage by 40, the lower number recommended for the climate zone.

Viñas Knopper

Reviewer

Faiz Fenyo

Reviewer

Is Nest a two stage thermostat?

Nest Learning Thermostats are only compatible with systems that have one or two stages of cooling. The Nest Thermostat E is only compatible with one stage of heating, one stage of cooling, and an additional stage of either heating or cooling.

Tais Fagoaga

Reviewer

Do high efficiency furnaces save money?

A high efficiency furnace can save you money. While the top-of-the-line furnaces may boast an annual fuel-utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 96 percent, losing only 4 percent of its energy, factors can come into play to greatly decrease their efficiency.

Mecias Ranzani

Reviewer

Are new furnaces more efficient?

And New Furnaces Are Indeed Much More Efficient
Older furnaces have an AFUE range of 56% to 70%, which means that between 30% and 44% of the natural gas goes to waste as heat bleeds from the combustion chamber and exhaust leaves the flue. New furnaces, however, can have AFUEs from 80% all the way to 98.5%.

Wadii Moteff

Supporter

Is 80 efficient furnace good enough?

In a standard-efficiency 80% furnace, 20% of the heat contained in the natural gas is exhausted up the furnace vent. A condensing furnace with an AFUE of 90% or above incorporates a secondary heat exchanger to recover that lost heat. The more efficient a furnace, the lower your energy bill for heating.

Dennys Riemenkasten

Supporter

Does a 2 stage AC save money?

Saving energy is certainly one of the best reasons to install a two stage air conditioner, but another great benefit is that it will make your home more comfortable. As we mentioned above, a two stage air conditioner will cool your home more gradually because of its “medium” capacity.