Buying a New Furnace

We’ve just had our initial deep freeze of the winter.  Undoubtedly, there will be more on the way.  The last thing you need to have happen is for your furnace to break down during one of those brutally cold days.  Not only will it make your house unbearably cold and unhealthy to stay in, but you also run the risk of pipes freezing and bursting, causing significant damage, monetary loss and inconvenience.

Sometimes, well-functioning furnaces can break down out of the blue, and without warning.  But there are some warning signals you can pay attention to.  If any of these are true, you may want to consider a new furnace.  

• The furnace is more than 20 years old.  If so, don’t be surprised if the furnace breaks down.  Additionally, a newer furnace will be much more energy efficient and cheaper to run.  So the sooner you replace the older model, the sooner you can begin saving money on energy costs.  It is going to happen eventually, so if you have the resources, consider replacing your furnace now.  
  
• It has a pilot light instead of an electronic or hot-surface ignition.  Pilot lights can go out for a variety of reasons.  If it goes out and you are not home, you’ll be returning to frigid conditions.   
  
• The furnace makes a lot of noise.
  
• The furnace is cycling on and off more frequently than it used to.
  
• The furnace needs to be repaired more often.
  

Buying a New Furnace

Here are some things to keep in mind if you decide to buy a new furnace.

• Efficiency.  The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating indicates how efficient the furnace is.  Consider a high-efficiency (AFUE 90 or higher) furnace because of the amount of cold weather we get.  While these units may be more expensive, the energy savings over the years will justify the additional initial cost.
  
• Energy Star designation.  Energy Star products meet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards by reducing energy 20% to 40%, thus also reducing pollution.
  
• Two-stage heating.  This type of furnace will operate at low-fire when it is cold but not frigid and on high fire when additional heat is needed.  This makes the furnace operate more efficiently by evening out the heat distribution.  As an added benefit, furnaces with two-stage heating tend to be quieter.
  
• Warranty.  Look for a 20-year or lifetime limited warranty on the heat exchanger and 10-year limited warranty on all remaining components.  Do not buy a furnace that does not provide these warranties.
  
• Programmable thermostat.  These control energy costs by allowing you to preset lower temperatures when you are not home or sleeping.  You can save 2 percent on your energy costs simply by lowering the thermostat by one degree over an eight hour period.  Now there are even thermostats available that can be accessed remotely via a tablet or mobile device.