January 16, 2013

You may have heard about minimum efficiency standard changes to furnaces in our area. The Department of Energy had put in place mandatory rules for residential gas furnaces that would take effect on May 01, 2013. The mandate stated that all furnaces replaced after May 01, 2013 must be 90% AFUE furnaces. If you had an 80% furnace (which most people in our area have), it could not be replaced with another 80% furnace after this date. You would have had to upgrade to a 90% furnace.

In a settlement filed late Friday afternoon, January 11, the Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to withdraw the pending minimum energy conservation standards that include regional standards for residential non-weatherized and mobile home gas furnaces. The term “non-weatherized furnace” is used to define furnaces that are designed to be placed indoors.

According to the terms of the settlement, portions of the June 27, 2011 Direct Final Rule setting the minimum AFUE standards for residential non-weatherized and mobile home gas furnaces at 90% in the Northern region and 80% in the Southeastern and Southwestern regions is vacated, along with the pending May 1, 2013 compliance date.

Pending the Court’s acceptance of this settlement, non-condensing furnaces remain legal to install in all states until further notice.

What this means to you is that if you currently have a 80% furnace you will still be allowed to replace it with another 80% model even after May, 2013.

If you have any questions about this, please call Dwight at 630-456-2614

Illinois became the first state in the country to adopt the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code as its mandatory statewide building energy code. The code takes effect on January  1, 2013. The 2012 IECC was adopted in its entirety, with minor adjustments on the residential code, after the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules approved the new rules on December 11, 2012.