Finding the right furnace for your home can be a tricky endeavor, especially with so many options available. Among these choices are single and two-stage furnaces, both which offer their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. The following takes a look at how both furnaces stack up against one another.

Single-Stage Furnace

To understand the difference between a single-stage furnace and its two-stage counterpart, it’s important to understand the term “single-stage.” It simply means that the furnace is only capable of generating and dispersing heat at a set speed. Either the unit runs at full throttle or it simply doesn’t run at all.

The relative simplicity of a single-stage furnace makes it slightly easier to maintain and a bit more affordable to purchase. However, operating a single-stage furnace throughout the winter could prove costly, especially since the unit has to cycle on and off constantly to maintain a steady temperature and prevent cold spots from forming in portions of your home.

Two-Stage Furnace

Just as the name implies, a two-stage furnace is capable of alternating between two states during its operation – a first stage where it runs at roughly half of its capacity and a second stage where it can run at full capacity. The ability to cut its own capacity in half gives two-stage furnaces a number of advantages over their single-stage counterparts.

• The first stage allows your furnace to distribute heat more evenly throughout the entire room, eliminating potential cold spots.
• The first stage also allows your furnace to run more economically, since it’s producing just enough heat to keep your home warm without a sharp increase in energy consumption.
• Two-stage furnaces can run more quietly since they don’t have to run at full capacity constantly.

Two-stage furnaces tend to cost more than their single-stage counterparts, but the extra upfront cost could be worth it if you’re aiming to reduce your heating costs over a long period of time.

If you’re ready to invest in a new furnace for your Fayette or Coweta County home, contact us at Powers Heating & Air today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”