What to Look for When Purchasing a New Furnace

new furnace considerationsNow that the winter season is upon us, there’s a good chance that you’re starting to focus on your furnace and realizing that it may be time for an upgrade. If this is part of your holiday plans, then there are a few new-furnace considerations that should be made to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

The Size of Your Home

The size of your home is directly linked to the size of the furnace that you’ll want to get, because it will ensure proper heating throughout the household. As long as your current system was properly sized when the unit was installed and you haven’t made any considerable additions to your home, the same size furnace will be fine.

Your Energy Source

The type of energy source that you choose — electric, gas, or oil — typically comes down to a personal preference, but there is a financial consideration involved too. Each type of furnace will have a range of costs for the unit itself, but it will also feature energy-usage costs for the operational lifetime of the equipment. You want to consider all of this information at the same time.

Your Home’s Energy-Efficiency Rating

Energy usage is a more important factor today than it has ever been, because we all want to lower our carbon footprint. The Energy Star label on each furnace, which will provide you with efficiency information including approximate cost to run the unit, is now a vital part of the process. Remember, however, that the more energy-efficient the furnace, the higher the price will be.

An Energy-Usage Audit

An energy audit will give you a rundown of your home’s overall efficiency, which can help you determine what type of furnace you should purchase, along with other considerations that could help you improve the way your household uses energy. There are ways to do this yourself, but hiring a professional HVAC technician is the best way to go.

If you would like more information on new-furnace considerations or other home-comfort topics, contact the professionals at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We’ve been servicing the needs of Yuma and the surrounding communities since 1952.