Installing a new HVAC System furnace is not as simple as it appears. You would think it could be done in an hour or two, but it can easily take 2 men a full 8 hour day to remove an old furnace and put in a new one, complete with venting, drainage, electrical hook up, gas hookup, etc. When it comes to installation, you want to make sure you have a solid, experienced, reliable HVAC contractor installer. A poor installation of a great HVAC System furnace will give you 20 years of bad performance. Most installers actually provided a 2 year warranty on their work. That is a real guarantee. When it comes to guarantees, most furnaces are guaranteed for 5 years for all parts, with a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger.
A new HVAC System furnace is not cheap. And if you live in a large home with 2 or more zones and furnaces, the hit is even worse if you have to replace 2 furnaces! The first step is to get a price quotes from a reliable HVAC system contractor. One problem associated with newer Energy Star high efficiency furnaces is ventilation. Old furnaces sent a lot of hot air up the sheet metal, ductwork flue. Newer HVAC Systems recycle much of the hot air, meaning that the eventual exhaust is much cooler, which makes it more prone to condense and drip back down the pipes in the form of water. To get around this, high efficiency HVAC System furnaces require special plastic PVC ductwork venting, either following the paths of the old metal ductwork if there is room, or carving out new space in the ceiling and walls around your furnace to handle this requirement. There will also be a need for a drainage or pump system to move the condensate fluids outside and away from your furnace. So your cost will not only reflect the actual cost of your furnace, but also the man hours on installation time and the removal of your old system. All this means you will be presented with one number, with everything else buried inside of it, making it tough to compare estimates. Estimates should be 10-15% of each other for comparable HVAC Systems. Most installers quoted both 90% base level systems and 94% or 95% top-of-the-line furnaces. Most HVAC contractors will negotiate their quoted prices. Ask questions. HVAC contractor should want your business, to move their inventory, to keep their installers busy, and to build up future maintenance business. Keep in mind that you will probably also qualify for some tax and energy credits for replacing an old appliance with a new high efficiency Energy Star unit. In most cases, that averaged to about a 15% rebate from the total cost outlay. Be sure you file all the paperwork required in your state and at the federal level to get the tax credits and energy rebates you are entitled to.
When it comes to picking the best HVAC SYstem furnace, there is no easy answer here. If you tear apart the inside of any furnace, you will find that most of them use the same suppliers for major parts like heat exchangers, blower moters, electrical circuit boards, etc. Much like buying a computer, companies combine all these components and put their name on them, but they are 90% the same inside and out. Make sure you hire a reliabel, code compliant HVAC Contractor!