What Determines The Cost Of Furnace Replacement?
When you have a new heating system installed in your home, a wide variety of factors will influence the final cost that you'll pay. Here are a few considerations to discuss with HVAC technicians when you're getting estimates for how much a furnace replacement will cost.
Was Your Old Furnace Under Warranty?
The average useful life of a furnace is 16 to 20 years. If your furnace needs to be replaced well before then, your warranty may cover some of the costs of new heating installation. Make sure that you have followed the manufacturer's recommendations for a maintenance schedule for your warranty to be valid.
If you recently bought a home and you or the seller purchased a warranty to cover major appliances, this warranty would likely cover the replacement of a furnace that failed prematurely. Talk to your HVAC technician about how to file a claim with the insurer to get the heating system installation covered.
How Big of a Furnace Do You Need?
Your HVAC technician will evaluate how big of a furnace you need mainly based on the square footage of your home. Larger-capacity furnaces tend to cost more. It's important to only buy a new furnace that meets an HVAC professional's recommendations; if the heating system is too small or large for your home, it could over-work or continually cycle on and off, which will run your utility bills higher and wear down the system faster.
Do Your Ducts and Vents Need Modification During Furnace Replacement?
If your old furnace was installed 20 years ago, the model options available now may be significantly different. An HVAC technician will help you choose a new model that's as compatible as possible with the configuration of your home, but a new heating system installation may still require modifications of your ducts or vents. If this is the case, you can expect installation costs to be higher. When you're asking HVAC companies for estimates, make sure they take this issue into consideration.
Are You Choosing an Energy-Efficient Model?
The energy efficiency of your furnace is calculated based on its annual fuel utilization efficiency, or what percentage of fuel gets turned into useable heat. For example, a rating of 78% means that 78% of the fuel will be used to heat your home while the rest gets vented as exhaust. Typically, furnace models with a higher efficiency rating are more expensive to install. However, the higher upfront cost may be offset by lower long-term costs in your utility bills. If you're interested in an energy-efficient heating system, ask your heating installation contractor about which models they recommend.