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Furnace Buying Guide for Skagit Valley
It is simply a fact of life that even the best or highest quality furnace will eventually require repair or replacement. And even though performing regular routine maintenance along with professional inspections can extend the life of a furnace, whenever it is time to buy a new furnace it is worth knowing some useful and very sensible purchasing tips. The first decision that must be made is whether to repair or to replace the heating unit in question. For example, installing a more energy-efficient system is not always the most valid reason to replace a furnace. This is especially true with an existing furnace that is still performing as expected.
More Than 20 Years Old
Typical guidelines offered by experts in the HVAC field recommend replacing a furnace for the following reasons. If the unit is more than 20 years old or if the system makes use of a pilot light as opposed to an electronic or hot surface type ignition system. In addition, if the unit is devoid of vent dampers or a draft fan then it should probably be replaced. As an added note, if your home has a coal-burning model that has been transformed into an oil or gas-burning unit, this would be a very good reason to opt for a new furnace installation.
Improve The Efficiency of Your Home
Another bit of great advice when it comes to replacing a household furnace is to first determine whether or not your home is indeed energy-efficient. The logic is simple in that why would anyone invest in an energy efficient furnace if the entirety of the home has poor efficiency overall. The good news is that it is easy to improve the efficiency of a home. This is done in most cases by simply adding insulation or sealing any leaks that are detected in windows and doors. This is important because it reduces the total heating requirements in the home. Ultimately you can actually purchase a smaller furnace when operating under this premise.
Here are some of the topics that we cover in this article series as they relate to buying your next furnace (click on the links below to learn more about each individual topic):
1 – Different Kinds of Furnaces
3 – Furnace Speeds
4 – Furnace Stages
6 – Furnace Prices
7 –Wrap-up