You’re looking to replace your furnace and wondering what sort of things you should be looking out for. Or perhaps you’re worried that your heating system will be out of commission for days or even weeks while a new one is installed.
It’s easy to think that all HVAC installers are the same and that one furnace installation is the same as the next. This, unfortunately, isn’t true.
This article will walk you through:
- What to expect in a furnace install
- What you can do before choosing an installer to make sure you’re getting the best value
That second item there is important. Your furnace should last you 15-20 years. It’s a huge investment! You deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing your installation was done correctly.
DIY vs. Professional Installation
To tackle this upfront, this is not an article that will assist you if you’re looking to install a furnace yourself.
Additionally, we can’t and don’t recommend this. Furnace installation involves working with sheet metal, woodwork, electrical components, potentially gas components or other flammable or explosive materials, and requires proper licensing and training to be safe and legal.
Licensed HVAC contractors have legally-mandated liability insurance to cover both you and the company that a DIY install won’t. The potential risks are catastrophic.
With that out of the way, let’s look at what you should be preparing for before a furnace install.
Your Role in Furnace Installation
Your HVAC partner will be doing the installation, but you can take some responsibility as well. How? Two ways:
- Asking the right questions beforehand to ensure the contractor is doing their due diligence.
- Preparing the area for the day of install.
The second of those is easier to discuss, so we’ll cover it first. The furnace area in your home should be as open and free of debris as possible. Your existing furnace will be getting removed, large equipment will be getting installed, and the technicians will need room to work and set their tools.
If any pets or boxes might be a hazard, you can make sure they’re properly secured elsewhere in the home.
The other thing you can do is to ask the right questions before you choose a furnace installer, to make sure they’re the right fit for you. Throughout this article, we’ll discuss questions about each step that you should be asking.
Before the Installation Day
Your contractor should establish a day and time when they will arrive. Most installations begin early in the morning so that the installers have all day to work.
They should follow up with you the day before and the day of so that there’s no confusion on arrival. Many contractors will have automated communications sent when an installer is dispatched.
It’s rare for a furnace installation to go more than a single day. Anyone who tells you otherwise likely isn’t working efficiently. Ask your installers how long the process will take, and how they’ll communicate with you prior to the installation.
There are exceptions, of course, but it’s usually when there’s more to the install. These additions could be installing both an air conditioner and furnace at the same time, or when extensive electrical or ductwork modification is needed to make the system compatible with the rest of your home.
The time between getting a quote and installing a furnace can often be as little as one day. However, sometimes equipment needs to be ordered from the manufacturer that the HVAC contractor doesn’t have at their location. Usually distribution is a matter of days, not weeks, and your HVAC contact will inform you if this isn’t the case.
Storing numerous systems in a warehouse can get expensive, and that cost ends up getting passed along to the customer. So having to wait a few days can often be better for your wallet. Most HVAC contractors do have some equipment ready, though, and will be able to install the system quickly.
Safety Precautions
Safety first. This can literally be life-saving in HVAC.
Turning off the electricity to any breakers the technicians will be using is a mandatory step. The same goes for any gas or fuel lines that they’ll be interacting with. Keep this in mind, since you may not have access to each of these in your home during the installation. Ask your HVAC partner if there will be any restrictions on appliance or home system usage during the install.
Removing Old Heating Equipment
The removal of your old equipment is part of the process. Contractors will often donate the scrap metal from these, and will dispose of any materials and equipment responsibly. Ask your contractor how they dispose of equipment to ensure it’s safely handled.
The actual removal can take several hours, though, because you may have part welded to other portions of the system and need to keep everything intact that isn’t being removed. All connections have to remain functional so that the new system can be installed.
Actually hauling the equipment out can also be time-consuming and may require more than one technician, depending on the size of the system.
With your system “open” now, between the old system and the new system, connections and duct lines should be checked to ensure that there are no issues that will hinder the new unit’s installation. The installers should also be cleaning these areas of any debris as well.
Installing Your New Furnace
The bulk of the process is indeed installing the new furnace.
We’re going to have to shorten some of the steps here, because this isn’t intended as a technical manual for an installer. Suffice to say, there can be dozens or even hundreds of smaller steps taken in the overall installation process.
Some of the larger processes include installation of or adjustments to the plenum, any applicable gas lines, exhaust flue (if applicable), return air drop, electrical wiring, installation of a compatible thermostat (with electrical wiring connected), and the main furnace unit itself.
Following basic installation, all connections need to be properly sealed to avoid air leaks that would decrease the efficiency of the furnace or risk other issues.
The electrical work may also require a licensed electrician. Some HVAC contractors are licensed for this as well and can handle both tasks. Other times an electrician will need to be brought in for certain parts of the installation. Ask your HVAC contractor if they can do the electrical work, if they work with an outside contractor, and if this will present an extra charge (often it’s included in the cost of your installation).
RELATED: Cost of a New Furnace
Checking and Optimizing Your System
The process isn’t done yet. The system still needs to be tested. This process is also often called commissioning.
Once everything is installed and power systems are turned back on, the system should be run not just to make sure it’s working, but that it’s working properly. This commissioning process is a necessary step to doing the job right.
This involves measuring airflow via several different metrics, heating capacity and output, and monitoring airflow into different areas of the home.
An installer who walks out of your home without testing and calibrating your system is not doing their job. Ask your installer how they calibrate equipment after the installation and hold them accountable for this step. The risks of not doing it are considerable.
Best case, your system runs but it’s not calibrated to run as efficiently as possible. Worst case, flaws in the installation and calibration create wear and tear on your unit, and you find yourself replacing it again in 5-10 years instead of 15-20 years.
A bad installation is often more damaging to your system than downgrading the equipment itself. Commissioning is how you can know your installation was a good one.
What Does a Bad Furnace Installation Look Like?
Bad furnace installation starts before the install, believe it or not. Corners can be cut in the installation process well before the new furnace is put into your home.
We’ve talked about correct air conditioner sizing, and the same is true of furnaces. If you don’t do the proper calculations for installing the best size and power of furnace, it will be inadequate for the home, either not powerful enough or too powerful (both are significant issues for different reasons).
During the install, the technicians won’t show up on time, won’t put down protective drop-cloths to safeguard your home as they walk through it and work in it.
They won’t commission the equipment once it’s installed, and will leave without giving you a thorough understanding of the process that was just completed and how to use your new system.
This isn’t hypothetical. Plenty of contractors skip these steps!
If you are only recognizing these things during an installation, it may be too late. But you can still consider other options to use in the future, for installations, repairs or tune-ups. This is also why it’s crucial to ask the right questions before you agree to a replacement!
Follow-up and Furnace Maintenance
Installing your furnace isn’t the final step. Even optimizing it and tuning it for optimal performance isn’t.
Your installers should walk you through the system options. It’s possible you had a new thermostat installed as part of the process, for example, and may need assistance learning how to operate it.
Additionally, installation creates mess, and it’s the installer’s job to clean up any mess they’ve created before they leave your home.
Ask your installer if they’ll guide you through system use, and what their post-installation procedure is.
Once your furnace is installed, you’re all set! That is, at least until you have to start scheduling maintenance. This isn’t a bad thing, though! Regular tune-ups keep your system at max efficiency, and also do things like keeping your system warranty valid in case a part needs replacing that is still under warranty.
Find a Furnace Installer
You should be armed with knowledge about the process at this point, and also with some questions to ask to make sure you are working with someone you can trust.
If you’re in the Sacramento, CA area, we’d love to be that contractor. Reach out to CABS Heating and Air Conditioning today to get a free, no-obligation quote for furnace installation that you can enjoy for years to come!
