Furnace & Heating Systems
Before winter season comes around it is best to make sure that your furnace is working properly. The best time to check your furnace is during the month of September or October. During this period furnace contractors are not busy handling emergency repairs or replacements. This will give you enough time to shop around for the best prices on local furnace contractors in your area. This also allows furnace specialists to be able to concentrate on serving your needs. The better business bureau recommends you get at least 3 quotes to for any major home improvement job. If you need to replace your furnace this would be considered a major home improvement job.
Gas furnaces are the most popular type of furnaces in homes today. They are much more efficient and cost effective than electric furnaces. However, you will want to make sure that your gas furnace is installed correctly and checked regularly (at least once a year). Electric heating is more expensive, but it is usually safer than gas furnaces.
Installing A Gas Or Electric Furnace
Even in warmer climates, like , cold spells can occur which necessitate having a heating system. Most furnaces today rely on natural gas for fuel, which is cleaner, more energy-efficient and less expensive than heating oil or electricity.
Each furnace type provides its own set of requirements and specifications. Which type (gas or electric), what size, and the work required to install it, will affect the final price. However, because each type of furnace has minimum requirements, you probably do not have as much choice in the decision as, say, what kind of siding to choose. What is better for one household might not be the best for another. Our contractors can help you decide which furnace type and brand is right for you: Trane, Carrier, Goodman, Amana, or Bryant.
Gas: You can maintain a comfort level and can heat your home much faster with a gas furnace if your winters are cold, and gas is generally cheaper than electric for generating heat. Gas does have some potentially dangerous drawbacks, though, as gas combustion is toxic to breathe, and gas leaks can lead to house fires and explosions.
Electric:Electric furnaces offer great heating and cooling capacity, and can be combined with air filtration system to filter out pollen, dust and other irritants. The installation of an electric furnace is generally much cheaper than the installation of a gas furnace. With natural gas prices going up all the time, electric may be a more economical choice: you need to compare the cost of electricity versus gas in your area.
Installing An Oil Furnace
Oil furnaces offer a clean-burning heating option for your home. Modern fuel oil devices are as efficient as natural gas furnaces. Evenly distributing heated air, oil furnaces deliver super efficient combustion for greater fuel economy and maximum heating efficiency.
Because they last longer and burn hotter than other furnace types, oil furnaces are a great match for colder climates with harsh winters. Although they are a potential ground/water contaminant, oil furnaces are less likely to produce carbon monoxide than natural gas furnaces, and are non-explosive.
HVAC Can Raise Your Comfort Level
They may not be glamorous, but there's little doubt that the components that make up the HVAC system (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) are some of the most critical features of your home. Installed and maintained properly, these systems have a major impact on your comfort and health. When considering a new home or renovation of an old one, it's worth taking the time and investing the money to select the right systems to guarantee a long, comfortable life span for you and your home in . Our contractors can help you decide which HVAC system and brand is right for you: Trane, Carrier, Goodman, Amana, or Bryant.
When you sit down with your contractor, be sure to consider the environment into which the HVAC system will be placed.
Is your home in a warm, humid climate, or are you subjected to brutal winter conditions? Where will the system be installed? Think about space requirements. It's not enough to consider space for the unit itself. Some system components may have clearance requirements to avoid the buildup of heat or moisture, and there also must be adequate space for a service person to move around the unit if it needs repair or maintenance. Remember that changing the air filter regularly helps to keep furnaces working properly, so the filter location should be easily accessible.
What size unit is appropriate? Units that are too small can't efficiently heat or cool a home. But HVAC systems can be too large as well. That can lead to homes not being kept warm or cool because of the time it takes to engage the system, or an unnecessary increase in energy bills because of an overly large system.
Are there areas in your home that have varying needs? For example, a two-story home with a finished basement may have an overly warm second floor while the basement is too cool. In that case, consider zone controls, which allow you to turn the heat off on the second floor and redirect additional heat to the basement, where it's needed. The same can be done with air conditioning.
Where will you have the thermostat and control systems installed? Your HVAC system is only as good as the thermostat that monitors and controls it. Where that thermostat is installed plays a major role in the system's efficiency. Ideally, the thermostat should be on an interior wall, away from windows that let in considerable sunlight, other heat sources and major airflow (heat or cool air vents). The thermostat should not have open space behind it, which can affect its operation as well, but should be enclosed and protected from dust and airflow.