5 Important Factors To Consider When Buying A Furnace

When winter hits in Minnesota, you want to be prepared. If you haven’t had your furnace serviced recently, or you’re worried it might be near the end of it’s life, you’ll want to get it checked out before the snow flies. There’s nothing worse than rushing through a big purchase because it’s getting too cold in your home!

At H&S Heating and Air Conditioning, we know and service all kinds of furnaces. We’ve put together a list of factors to consider when buying a furnace to help you when you need to study up quick. And don’t forget to call us when you need your furnace inspected, and we’ll help you out!

5 Important Factors To Consider When Buying A Furnace

1. Fuel Source

Gas. Electric. Oil. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on your home type.

Natural gas furnaces are the most economical way to heat any home with ductwork. We personally carry Ruud gas furnaces, and stand behind them as the best gas furnace brand.

A gas boiler is also an option. NTI offers a gas boiler, which uses natural gas to heat water, which is circulated through radiators in your home.

Oil or propane is a powerful source of heat as well, but requires more room for storage, is dirtier and can be more expensive to operate, depending on oil prices. This is a good alternative for a home which doesn’t have access to natural gas.

Electric furnaces are another alternative, but can be a drain on the bank account through your electric bill.

An electric-powered heat pump is another option, and can operate as both a heater and air conditioner for relatively smaller spaces.

2. Correct Sizing

As noted above, an electric-powered heat pump might be ideal for your home if it is a smaller space. The same is true of all types of furnaces, boilers and pumps; they come in different amounts of BTU (British Thermal Units), which can support different sizes of homes depending on insulation and the weather.

For example, a 2,500 square foot house in Minnesota which is just over 100’ long, with 10’ ceilings and normal insulation may need approximately 160,000 BTUs/hour to keep a home at 75° Fahrenheit in the winter.

Your furnace technician will do an estimate on your home, to determine how many BTUs a home of your size and insulation would require for optimal heating.

3. Warranty

It’s important to know what warranty comes with the system you are choosing. You should be able to find warranty information online when googling the brand name of the furnace, but your furnace technician should also be able to give you warranty information.

4. Insulation

If you’re going through the trouble of installing a new furnace, you may want to have an inspection done on your insulation as well. If you find deficiencies in your insulation, you can add insulation relatively cheaply, which may allow you to purchase a furnace with a lower BTU rating, saving you money on the furnace as well as on your utility bill.

5. Quality of Installer

It’s important to trust the person installing your furnace. A quality provider will have 24-hour emergency service, so customers can be helped when bad weather hits or an emergency happens.

At H&S Heating and Air Conditioning, we offer 24-hour emergency service, and are certified by NATE (North American Technician Excellence,) the leading nonprofit certification program for the HVAC industry (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.)