Air Cleaners, Heating & Cooling

Replacing the old furnace in your central heating system with a new, more efficient model can offset volatile energy prices. Money aside, today's furnaces pollute less and boost comfort by producing heat more steadily than older furnaces. Gas is the most common heating fuel and this report focuses on gas furnaces.

A humidifier can relieve itchy eyes, sore throat, and cracked skin by adding moisture to dried-out air. In addition to these health benefits, a humidifier can also reduce static electricity, peeling wallpaper, and cracks in paint and furniture.

When set properly, a programmable thermostat could cut your utility bills by up to 20 percent. Our tests found some models that were a challenge to program, so be sure to use our Ratings to find a model that's easy to use and which works with your heating and/or cooling system.

All the air conditioners in our latest tests do an excellent job of cooling and come with such convenient features as a digital display, a built-in timer, a remote control, or touchpad controls. But some models are noisy and others struggled to cool during brownouts. Find out which to buy for your home.

A dehumidifier can take that sticky feeling out of a damp basement or crawl space. Humidity levels above 50 percent can breed dust mites, mildew, and mold, which may worsen allergies and asthma. Our latest tests show that the best dehumidifiers aren't necessarily the highest priced.