The typical furnace lasts between 15 and 20 years. If your furnace is reaching the end of its lifespan, it may be time to consider upgrading. Here are some tips you’ll want to follow to ensure that your next furnace replacement is successful.
Get Your Budget Ready
Before you can even think about purchasing a new furnace, you need to understand what it’s going to cost you. A new furnace can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $6,500, depending on various factors. For some homeowners, you may just want to save up your money and purchase the furnace outright. For other homeowners, you may want to take advantage of financing. Many HVAC companies can connect you with a financing company.
Decide on Your Must-Have Features
Furnaces have changed a lot over the recent decade. With a lot of new technology available, it’s likely that you may want to take advantage of some of these upgrades. It’s a good idea to do a little research ahead of time to determine what specific features you want in your new furnace.
This may include things like updating your old thermostat to a smart thermostat or adding whole-home air purification to your HVAC system. By having these picked out ahead of time, you can ensure that your furnace specialist will be able to make a great recommendation to fit your needs.
Get a Consultation
In the do-it-yourself age that we live in, it’s not uncommon for some homeowners to try and purchase their furnaces on their own. This isn’t the best option as a furnace is a very large financial investment. To make sure that you’re choosing an appropriate model for your home, it pays to consult an expert. They will not only take your own needs into consideration, but they’ll also assess your home to ensure that what you want matches what your home needs.
Set an Installation Date
At your consultation appointment, you should be deciding on the exact system you want. Your HVAC specialist will order your furnace directly from the manufacturer. You want to set up a specific date for when the installation is going to take place. It’s not uncommon for a heating professional to wait until your furnace is delivered to them before they’ll set up an installation appointment.
During this initial consultation, it’s the perfect time to discuss what your responsibilities are going to be during the installation day with your heating specialist. Make sure that you ask how they’re going to be bringing the heating system into your home so you know what you need to clear out. In addition, make sure that you verify that they’re going to take your old system away or what they’re going to do with it.
Clean Up
Before the installation date, it’s a good idea to go ahead and clean up the areas where you know your heating professional is going to be working. Everything around where the existing furnace is at should be cleared out of the way so that they have adequate space to work. Additionally, you’ll want to clear out the route from your furnace to the outside of your home so that your furnace specialist isn’t bumping into any furniture or other objects as they’re trying to bring in the new furniture or take out the old one.
You’ll also want to take the time to clean up the spaces around your fuel lines and your electrical panel. These are areas that your heating contractor will need to have access to on your furnace installation day. Make sure that you clearly label the breaker for your HVAC system and your fuel lines so that they are easily identified by your heating contractor.
Make Plans for Pets and Children
It’s also a good idea to plan out where your kids and your pets are going to be when your service contractor is in your home. Most furnace replacement jobs are going to take an entire day to be completed. You’ll want to have your pets in a place where they can safely get outside to go to the bathroom throughout the day. You also want to ensure that your children have something to do and are not distracting the technicians from getting their job done.
Quality Heating Service
Breckinridge Heating & Cooling provides quality heating service to the Louisville, KY, region. We also offer cooling, duct cleaning, indoor air quality, and ductless mini-split service. Call us today to set up a service appointment!
