What’s Better For My Home? A Multi-Speed or Variable Speed Furnace

Buying a new gas furnace is something that may only happen a few times in your lifetime, and it can be a very overwhelming experience.  From finding a qualified heating and cooling company to picking exactly what kind of furnace is best for your home, it can seem like a lot.  At FLAME we have experienced comfort consultants to help with the process, but one question that you will need to answer is whether to have a multi-speed or a variable speed gas furnace in your home.

Variable speed furnaces, such as the Evolution Variable-Speed Gas Furnace from Bryant, are often more expensive than multi-speed furnaces at the beginning.  However, they run much more efficiently, which ends up saving homeowners money in the long run.  According to John Gibbons from HVACR Business, “Though variable-speed units tend to cost more at the outset than single- or two-stage equipment, they can operate far more efficiently because their outputs vary according to the conditions of the home, rather than running at full or a single reduced capacity for the duration of a cycle” (The Advantages of Variable-Speed Technology).

Variable speed furnaces will operate at numerous different speeds depending on what your home needs at the time.  They don’t just have “high” and “low” settings-which means they only work as hard as you need them to.  If it is a really cold day, they will automatically run harder, but if is not that cold out, the furnace will not run as hard.

Multi-speed furnaces, on the other hand, are less expensive initial investments, but they do not offer the same comfort and energy saving qualities as the variable speed furnaces.  Multi-speed furnaces typically have three set speeds: low, medium, and high, as opposed to the numerous speeds the variable speed furnaces are capable of.  Therefore, multi-speed furnaces are not able to adjust as much according to the needs of your home.  This means that they run less efficiently and are not quite as comfortable.

For more information about these types of furnaces, or to learn more about Bryant furnaces, contact FLAME!