How to Buy Your New Furnace

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Like it or not, every homeowner will someday have to face the prospect of replacing his or her furnace. Whether the furnace has been damaged, requires prohibitively expensive repairs, or has just worn out after many years of normal use, replacement is inevitable. Even if an old furnace still functioning properly, replacing it might be a wise financial decision, considering the fact that furnaces made in the last ten years are much more efficient than older furnaces and by using less fuel you could recoup your investment in just a few years. Additionally, recently manufactured furnaces with retention-head burners, if properly maintained, produce absolutely no soot.

There are many different factors that go into deciding which furnace is best for a specific home, including house size, system type (hot air or hot water) and number of heating zones or thermostats. For this reason, it is impossible to recommend specific brands or models as the best for everyone. The veterans of the heating oil industry at HEAT USA can, however, provide some important guidelines to follow when replacing your furnace.

Use a reliable full-service heating oil company. Just as you want a trustworthy and professional company providing you with heating oil, you would want that same company to choose and install your new furnace. If the company has proven itself with high-quality heating oil and excellent service, it will most likely apply that same level of service to furnace replacement. Furthermore, the company that provides heating oil and service to your system will have an incentive to install a high-quality furnace and install it properly–if something goes wrong with the furnace, the same company will have to repair it. If an “installation only” company puts the furnace in, it has no interest in that furnace working properly in the long term.

The best way to find a trustworthy heating oil dealer to sell and install your new furnace is to search for oil dealers in your area, and then check them out with the local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) and your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs. Those agencies will be able to verify oil dealers’ reputations and inform you of any problems they may have had with consumers in the past. HEAT USA members are referred to pre-screened heating oil dealers who have been evaluated for heating oil quality, reliability, and quality of service. They also have access to an Equipment Shopping Service for advice and assistance in securing the best possible equipment at the best prices.

Invest in a brand new furnace with brand new parts. While buying a used furnace or used furnace parts might save a few hundred dollars at first, used equipment will break down more quickly and require repair or replacement much sooner than would new equipment. Investing an extra $300 or $400 in a new furnace with new parts will save hundreds of dollars for years to come.

Pay attention to efficiency ratings. Furnaces are rated according to annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). The percentage of fuel converted to heat is the AFUE rating, and the remaining percentage represents the fuel that escapes as exhaust. A new furnace should have a minimum AFUE rating of 86% and the current maximum AUFE rating is 90%. An 86% AUFE furnace might be cheaper than an 90% AUFE furnace, but the more-efficient furnace will most likely be worth the higher price as it will burn less heating oil over time.

Follow the basic guidelines listed above, and you can rest assured that you will get a high-quality furnace at a fair price. Generally, the price for a new furnace can range from $3,700 to $4,200 for air furnaces and $4,000 to $7,000 for hot-water furnaces. For an idea of the options you may have, take a look at these leading brands: Peerless, Weil Mclean, Burnham, Utica, System 2000, and New Yorker (for hot water systems); Lennox, Rheem, and York (for hot air systems).

Consumersearch.com offers in-depth information on furnaces and installation.

This article first appeared in the HEAT This Week newsletter on Friday January 9, 2009.