What is the Difference Between Single-Stage, Two-Stage, and Modulating Furnaces?

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What is the Difference Between Single-Stage, Two-Stage, and Modulating Furnaces?

Posted On: January 8, 2020

What is the Difference Between Single-Stage, Two-Stage, and Modulating Furnaces?

When you are looking around for a new furnace, you will come across three different types: single-stage, two-stage and modulating. You may probably ask, what are the differences between them, and which one is right for your home?


In this article, we will explain the differences between them and help you decide which furnace works best for you and your family.


Single-Stage Furnaces


Single-stage furnaces only have one setting, which is high heat. On a call for heat, they immediately start running at full capacity, no matter what the temperature is outside until the signal coming from the thermostat is turned off. These types of furnaces are best suited for budget-conscious consumers, so in the long run, the upfront cost savings are not realized.


Two-Stage Furnaces


A two-stage gas furnace has two settings, high fire and low fire, and here is how it works. Most of the time, on a typical heating cycle the furnace will start out running on low fire, consuming less gas and electricity, while at the same time providing heat and gaining inefficiency. After approximately 7- 10 minutes of operation, the furnace begins to operate very efficiently because it is fully warmed up. Then, it will jump up into high fire and finish out the heating cycle at full capacity. Control of the high and low burner timing are made by the installers, as part of a new furnace installation.


You could also control the 2 stage burner by using a 2 stage thermostat, the effect of either is similar. Two-stage furnaces are considered more energy-efficient than single-stage because they are not always running at a full heating capacity of the appliance and are often equipped with an ECM blower motor which will also save on your electricity costs.


Modulating Furnaces


Modulating gas furnaces are at the top end of the gas furnace spectrum and are considered to be the most energy-efficient of the three. But, at an added price over two-stage or single-stage furnaces. Heating from a modulating furnace ramps up in increments to maintain a consistent temperature and the ductwork is always warmed up so there is a little efficiency lost during the warming up process.


When buying a modulating furnace you will almost always need to invest in a new thermostat controller specifically designed for this type of furnace in order to get the most out of it. Always ask your salesman about this option, as it is often not mentioned (due to the added cost of the new thermostat). If you are planning to stay in your home for the long-term, a modulating gas furnace may be the right fit for you.


When you want to buy a new furnace, you should always consult your local HVAC experts before making a decision. A trained HVAC technician can come to your home, go over your situation with you and help you decide which furnace best suits your home.


When you are ready for a new furnace, contact the Twintech experts! Our technicians are experienced and knowledgeable in all types of furnaces and HVAC systems.


For more information about our services, visit our website or give us a call at 1-844-894-6832. Contact Twintech today!




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See What Our Customers Are Saying:

by silvercola from Toronto on Twintech Heating and Cooling

I received three quotes before deciding to choose Twintech. Dave's prices was much more reasonable than the competitors. I most appreciated their honest recommendations. Others tried to oversell their products and services. Thank you Dave!

by Shane from Whitby on Twintech Heating and Cooling

They had the best price and did a great job on the installation. Recommend them to anyone.

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It was a amazing and professional high quality job
Friendly and very helpful representatives
Thank you for understanding my concern
And explain very well
Overall we pleased with your service
Tanks

by Linda, Toronto on Twintech Heating and Cooling

My 19 year old furnace stopped working when the cold weather hit in November, and I was left without heat. I interviewed several companies and found TWINTECH HEATING and COOLING to be very knowledgeable, quick to respond to my inquiries and very competitively priced.
Dave provided all of the information and pricing ahead of time and set up the appointment for the installation. Greg and Mitch arrived on time to do the installation and worked quickly and efficiently to complete the job.
After the completion of the installation, Dave followed up to ensure that everything was working well and that I didn't have any concerns.
Overall, this was a low-stress and flawless experience from start to finish. I would highly recommend TWINTECH HEATING and COOLING to anyone that requires a new furnace.

by Sean, Whitby on Twintech Heating and Cooling

Our 20 year old furnace broke down during the first cold weekend this past November and our usual HVAC company never returned our phone call. Their loss, missing out on a sale since we didn't want to spend much fixing an old furnace and our 40 year old air conditioner was also long overdue for replacement. We proceeded in obtaining three different quotes for furnace and air conditioner replacement, and proceeded with the one we received from Twintech.


Dave was friendly, knowledgable and accommodating to our schedule and provided with us with a price that fell in the middle of the three quotes that we had. We felt that the Amana furnace and air conditioner he quoted us on were the best products and value offered to us and felt most comfortable with the professionalism and reputation of Twintech.


Greg, Grant and Mitch were at our house for installation the day after we decided to proceed. The guys were friendly and informative, the job was completed efficiently and workmanship appears excellent. Our house is certainly much more comfortable with the new two-stage variable speed Amana furnace compared to the old clunker! And, we're looking forward to enjoying the new air conditioner once summer rolls around again. Thanks Twintech!

by Bill, Oshawa on Twintech Heating and Cooling

We are very happy with our new furnace. The service was excellent the guys worked 6 hours straight through and there was no mess at all they took the old furnace box’s etc with them they then explained everything to us they were very helpful and pleasant , when we need a new air conditioner we know who to call!

by Ken, Bomanville on Twintech Heating and Cooling

The crew from sales to installation was very professional and had great attention to detail

by Tracy, Pickering on Twintech Heating and Cooling

We couldn’t have been more impressed with Twintech - from our first service call with Mitch who took the time to thoroughly diagnose the issue with our furnace, to Dave who proposed a well thought out solution to meet our needs and finally Greg and team who acted quickly to install given we had no heat.


We did our due diligence by soliciting quotes from alternate providers and were shocked and disappointed by the aggressive and manipulative tactics used.


Twintech was honest in their approach, detailed in their product knowledge, reasonably priced, diligent in their follow-up and valued our business.


Well done Twintech! You made this a positive experience for us and our new furnace works beautifully!

by Skapoor, Ajax on Twintech Heating and Cooling

We recently purchased an Amana high efficiency furnace and humdifier through Twintech. The work was completed very professionally and the quality of the workmanship was high. There was some additional sheet metal work required to complete the installation, which they were able to complete themselves. Overall I am very pleased with the work and would highly recommend Twintech for a furnace replacement.

by Steve, Oshawa on Twintech Heating and Cooling

We were very pleased with every aspect of the work that was done. They were very professional and polite. They arrived when they said they would and job was completed on estimated time


We would highly recommend them to whoever needed a recommendation


We have a very large dog and they were very understanding and respectful of him being around

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