5 Important Factors To Consider Before A Furnace Installation

There is more to putting in a new furnace than choosing the most energy-efficient one that is sized to your heating needs. A quality heating installer will also consider the following factors before and during the installation.

1. Footprint Size

Your new furnace will be limited in physical size by the amount of space you have available to house it. For this reason, a reputable installer will measure the space before your new furnace is selected and ordered. This ensures the new furnace is both sized correctly to heat your home and to fit into its available space without expensive renovations.

2. Fuel Upgrades

It's possible to upgrade to a furnace that uses a different heating fuel than your last one. For example, if you want to switch from an electric to a gas furnace or from an oil furnace to an electric one. The fuel upgrades must be completed before the furnace is installed, whether this entails putting in a new gas line for a gas furnace or installing a dedicated circuit and the necessary wiring for an electric one. If moving from gas to any other type of fuel, the old gas line must be safely capped off.  

3. Location Challenges

Not all furnace locations are created equal. A location can be hard to get to, which can make it difficult to remove an old furnace or get a new one into place. There may be stairs, narrow hallways, or other obstacles to work around. If you are changing to a new fuel source, such as moving from electric heat to propane, you may need to move locations in order to hook into the new fuel source.

4. Duct Condition

Duct conditions can impact your new furnace, and sometimes the best time to make repairs is when they aren't attached to the heating system. Over time ducts can become loose or unattached, or there can be dirt and debris in them. If there are suspected problems with the ducts, these can be addressed during the new heating installation.

5. Systems Inspections

Your furnace may attach to other systems in the home, such as the electrical or existing gas system. These should be inspected after the old furnace is taken out. It's much easier to make repairs, such as replacing damaged wiring or upgrading outdated fuel valves, before the new furnace is brought in. Your installer can make sure everything is in good repair and up to code. 

Contact a heating installation contractor if you need to put in a new furnace.