Things to think about when purchasing a new furnace

It is a new morning in Toronto and you are considering getting a new furnace. What are the most important questions you should be asking yourself? What are the most important questions you should be asking your furnace dealer? In this article we will try to shed a bit of light on what the most important factors are when considering buying a new furnace.

Buying a brand new furnace is not something most people do every day and as such, having questions and concerns is very understandable but one must approach the issue very carefully because when you buy a furnace, you expect it to last a number of years and it is with that in mind that we have narrowed it down to the most important factors.

Forget about brands

All major manufacturers and brands of furnaces make comparable products that deliver heat in more or less the same way with the same levels of performance and efficiencies. There are many reasons for this – for one, most major furnace manufacturers outsource many of the internal electronics and other small parts inside their furnaces to the same suppliers and they themselves only focus on a key few parts like the heat exchanger. Another point to consider is that whenever a major furnace manufacturer implements an innovation, all the other major manufacturers follow suit soon after. What this means is that as long as you get a furnace from any of the major manufacturers, you are getting a good, solid product. What really sets the major manufacturers apart are their warranty.

First, find out about the warranty

The top manufacturers offer a limited lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger, ten years on parts, and one year on labour – anything less than that is something you do not want. A warranty that meets these requirements tells a lot about how comfortable the manufacturer is with the product they built. These are not perfect machines and sometimes (albeit not frequently) something inside of them might break after the warranty period on labour and that is why an extended warranty plan is sometimes suggested. All of these are things to consider before you’re even set with a dealer but the most important thing when it comes to getting a new furnace is the installation, and that’s why we’re going to say it again…

The most important thing is the installation

A good installation by an experienced technician will ensure that your furnace will perform at the levels it is supposed to consistently through its lifetime. Consider also that most manufacturers also require that a yearly tune-up and inspection is done on the furnace each year in order to keep the warranty alive so you need to be able to count on your furnace technicians for many years and that is why a local dealer with many years of experience and favourable reviews is who you should turn to for your furnace installation.

In essence…

Getting a new furnace is not easy and not something you will have to do more than once or twice in your lifetime. When this decision comes about, you should focus on the warranty and installation of a good enough model from a recognized manufacturer – as long as your installation is backed up by a good group of technicians, you won’t have to worry about your furnace for another decade, at least.