Tips for buying a new furnace

When you buy a new furnace for your home, it is important to get the most appropriate type and size of furnace for your home and your needs.

Choosing a new furnace for your home can be quite simple if you get the following factors right:

1. Right size
2. Right efficiency
3. Best price

How to get the right furnace for your home

Use the following tips to help you meet the three buying pointers listed above:

Furnace Size. The HVAC contractor you employ should do a load calculation to determine the appropriate size of furnace for your home, based on several factors including the size of your home, its insulation, and the level of use of the furnace. A furnace that is too large could lead to unnecessarily high running costs. A furnace that is too small could struggle to meet your home's heating requirements.

Furnace Efficiency. The furnace efficiency ratings to consider are:

• The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating, which shows the ratio of energy consumed by the furnace compared to the heat it emits. The Federal Trade Commission requires that all new furnaces display their AFUE rating so consumers can compare furnaces.
• The black and yellow Energy Guide label, which tells you how energy-efficient the furnace is.
• The Energy Star® logo, which is given only to the most energy efficient appliances.

A high-efficiency furnace is usually more expensive to buy than a low-efficiency furnace but it should provide ongoing savings in the form of lower running costs. Your contractor can make a recommendation about the appropriate efficiency level, but other factors that should determine your choice include the climate where you live, whether you intend to stay in your home for a long time, and whether you can get a rebate for buying a high-efficiency furnace. Rebates are available from some large manufacturers or companies, and also from local or state governments, for customers buying Energy Star® qualified appliances.

Contractor. Contact at least three HVAC contractors to ask for price quotes and advice on the appropriate type and size of furnace for your home. You should ask the contractor for references for recent work they have completed, and for a written quote that includes details of their load calculation and other analyses that have lead them to determine which furnace is best for you. Get recommendations from people you know who have recently had a new furnace installed. Don't choose a contractor on price alone--the lowest price may not be the best deal. A badly fitted furnace can be extremely inefficient and even dangerous.

Following these tips should help you buy and install a furnace that meets your home's heating requirements at the lowest cost. For more information about furnaces and boilers, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Savers website.