How Important is a Proper Furnace Installation?

Furnace Installation is not a DIY project

There is no shortage of do-it-yourself home improvement suggestions online. A study from home remodeling site Houzz found that 53 percent of respondents feel that now is a good time to remodel. Of people who take on home improvement projects, 70 percent practice some form of DIY along with help from friends and family.

From painting to plumbing to furnace maintenance and repair, every home improvement project you want to take on has some information online. However, if you are not experienced in the upgrades you want, you may end up causing more damage to your home. You have to weigh your options carefully before taking on any DIY projects, especially when it comes to vital elements of your home’s operations.

One of the most expensive pieces of equipment in your home is your furnace. When the furnace is working properly, you don’t think much about it, but a failure can be both expensive and dangerous. That’s why furnace replacement and installation should always be done by a professional. Having a furnace properly installed is the first step toward safe, efficient heating for many years to come. Let’s take a look at some of the specific ways a proper furnace installation will benefit you, your home, and your bank account.

Safety

As homeowners know, equipment in the home tends to break or give out at the worst possible moment. When a furnace stops working during cold weather, the lack of heat can be dangerous, especially if children or elderly people live in the home. It may not be an expense you are expecting, but a non-working furnace is something that simply cannot wait a few weeks, or even days, to fix. Calling a professional to examine the furnace may mean the difference between replacing the whole unit and simply getting by with new parts. If a new furnace installation is necessary, a professional will handle all the heavy lifting and follow all building and fire codes to ensure that your heating system is safe. A professional can also get rid of your old furnace in a safe and regulated way.

A professional also knows how to test different parts of the heater to ensure their proper function and your overall safety. For example, if the heat exchanger is not working properly or fails, carbon monoxide could pump through the ductwork into the home. Don’t take any chances with your family’s health.

Savings

When you are shelling out the initial cost of a furnace, you’ll groan at the financial stress. If you go with an energy-efficient furnace, you could actually be saving yourself a lot of money in the long run. Condensing furnace models recycle the condensation on the outside of the heater and use it for energy, offering an annual fuel utilization efficiency of up to 98 percent.

Replacing a furnace is an obvious way to save when the older model is outdated. Hiring a professional to do it may not be quite as obvious when it comes to savings, but it has a lot of potential for reduced costs. If you make a mistake or are unable to complete the installation, you may end up paying more than you would to have it correctly replaced. A properly installed furnace also offers greater efficiency over the life of the heater, regardless of the model.

Convenience

Did you know that the average worker spends 45 minutes less time with his family every day than he did 20 years ago? With everything going on in your life, paying a professional to handle any home repair or improvement is often worth the price. It takes much of the pressure off of you to get the work completed and also ensures that it will be done properly. You need to find the right contractors, of course, and take your time researching them for the best savings, but once you find a dependable contractor—for furnace repair, plumbing fixes, landscaping projects, and more—you can relax knowing that your home is in the best hands. You won’t have to act outside your area of expertise, and you get more time with your family—something that really is priceless.

The cost of homeownership can take its toll, but cutting corners when installing something as vital as your furnace is not the right way to save money. Your family’s safety is worth the due diligence of finding the right contractor, which can save you some money over time anyway. A great way to make sure you have someone ready in an emergency is to retain a furnace company for annual maintenance and furnace tune-ups. When something does go wrong, you don’t have to settle for the first contractor you find. You will already have someone you know and trust on hand.