While there are many projects homeowners may choose to do themselves, DIY does not extend to furnace replacements. Furnaces are one of the most expensive appliances in your home. If a furnace is not installed properly and configured to your home, there are major risks. Attempting to install a furnace yourself or hiring an inexperienced contractor includes a number of risks ranging from poor operation, failure of the furnace, and, most importantly, safety risks to your home and family.
Since furnaces are expensive and vital to the safety of your home and family, always hire an experienced and professional contractor. When you are considering furnace replacement, learning about the key features of a furnace, what to look for in a new furnace and understanding the benefits of a new furnace are great initial steps. Educating yourself before talking to a professional contractor gives you confidence and peace of mind.
What Type of Furnace Suits Your Home?
Professional installation includes matching a furnace to your home and household needs. A new furnace suits your home when it provides enough warm air to blanket every room of your home. The key features of a furnace are size, fuel source and lifespan. Consider these features about your old furnace:
Size
Size describes both the dimensions of a furnace and heating capacity. The dimensions of your new furnace must fit into your home. Likewise, the furnace upgrade must deliver warm air throughout every room of your home. An HVAC contractor will identify the correct size to perform efficiently within your home. When matching a new furnace, technicians will examine all existing ductwork, vents, thermostats and power systems.
Fuel Source
Especially when dealing with natural gas and electricity, entrusting an experienced professional to install a furnace is a wise choice. Fuel sources include natural gas furnaces, electric furnaces, propane furnaces and oil furnaces. Advances in technology means new furnaces will be far more energy efficient than older designs. Most often the fuel source of a new furnace will match the older unit. Replacing an existing natural gas furnace with a new high-efficiency gas furnace means reduced installation costs and a quicker installation.
Age of Furnace
The average lifespan of a furnace is about 15 years. As furnaces age, repair costs mount. This may lead to an expensive cycle of constant repair bills and reduced performance. If your furnace is more than 12 years old and begins to wear down, then you should start planning for replacement options.
What to Look for in a New Furnace
Busy homeowners don’t typically keep up on the advances in furnace technology. There are two key factors to understand in a new furnace – AFUE rating and stages.
AFUE
Annualized fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) refers to how much heat is produced for every dollar of energy consumed. Higher ratings represent lower energy consumption. That is, you want the highest AFUE rating available.
Single Stage, Multistage Heat and Modulating Furnaces
Natural gas furnaces traditionally provide a single stage. There is a single flame that turns off and on throughout the day. Multistage heat features two flames providing more accurate heat for mild and colder temperatures. Modulating heat is even more precise. The size of the flame adjusts to provide steady temperatures. The best choice for your home depends on many factors.
What Are the Benefits of Purchasing with Thiele?
When you contact Thiele, our team will carefully guide you through the furnace replacement process. We will carefully listen to your experience and advise the best furnace for your home. Since every home and household is unique, our experts examine your entire heating system. We consider all the factors described above and guide you to make an educated and sound decision.
Some of the benefits to a new furnace include: energy efficiency, improved comfort and dependability.
Energy Efficiency
New furnaces produce more heat than aging units. Advancements in design and technology are part of this improved efficiency. The expert installation process that your HVAC technician performs is another factor. Energy costs are reduced through careful calibration of the furnace, ductwork, vents and thermostat.
Improved Comfort
When our team installs a new furnace, we consider the entire heating system. The goal of any installation is to provide even warmth throughout every room of your home. Our HVAC installers aim to properly heat your whole house. A new heating system will outperform your existing furnace by design and by our craftsmanship.
Dependability
While a replacement furnace costs more than a repair, new furnaces provide dependable heat for many years. With regular maintenance, a furnace installed by Thiele will save money on heating bills while providing dependable warm air for years.
When to Contact Thiele
If you are experiencing problems with our furnace, you can trust our team. As a full-service team of experts, we provide the best advice for you. We explain every detail of furnace replacement and answer any questions you may have. We offer simple financing options with online application and approval processing.
After we install or replace your existing furnace, you can rely on our team to keep your household warm and secure for many years to come. Our maintenance plans include annual service of your new furnace.