How can you forget about the gas furnace while building a new home? lf you already have a home and your gas furnace is too old and beyond repairs, getting a new furnace is the only option. However, it may put a big dent in your pocket if you have not carefully planned for the expenses.
It is one of the costliest appliances in the home and a home cannot be without this equipment in winter. Therefore conducting diligent research before purchasing a gas furnace is a wise decision which will save you money. There are a lot of factors which need to be hashed out and you can find professional advice here.
The Gas furnace can cost upwards from $1,000. They give a very good performance at the price point but also increase the installation costs because the gas pipelines also need to be installed. It can add another $500 or more to the overall cost. The addition of duct work is a complex affair and can be done reliably only by an expert. You can not compromise on this, because a poor quality duct work will give you continuous problems all through the year and will cost more money and peace of mind than intended.
You can also opt for propane rather than natural gas, if you want to have low running fuel costs over the lifetime of the furnace. The labor costs associated with the furnace installation depends on the size of the furnace and the size of the home, because the elaborate system has to be planned for efficient heat flow during winters. The size has to be selected properly otherwise a smaller size furnace will give less comfortable heating and an unnecessarily large furnace will add lot of overhead costs.
There are multiple brands which are available in the market. You can research through the brands, try to find out their relative strengths and weaknesses and can find a better price through negotiation. You can get a gas furnace with acceptable performance at as low as $600 with good research and by exploring multiple options. There are inexpensive brands such as Payne, Goldman, Heil etc. The more expensive brands include Lennox, American Standard, Carrier etc.
The cost also depends on some advanced features such as variable thermostat, zoned heating, variable speed blowers etc. But they add more cost during installation since they need more duct work. There has to be duct line specifically laid down for these features and troubleshooting them in future will also be more difficult.
Furnace maintenance costs need to be taken into account as it costs you to replace the furnace filter. Getting an estimated maintenance cost from the manufacturers would be a good idea before finalizing the brand. In winter, the furnace filter needs to be replaced every 30-45 days. During summer, when it is not in much use, you need to replace to every 3 - 4 months.
Having a furnace with good efficiency will help save the utility bills in the long run. You need to check the energy star rating of the brand and AFUE rating (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating) so that you get the best bang for the buck. In conclusion, be sure to check the furnace on the parameters such as size, installation complexity, fuel type, efficiency and brand reputation so that you have the best buy.
