Have you noticed your energy bills rising significantly each year during the winter season? Are you feeling like you’re always getting your furnace repaired a few times a year? Don’t let the cold Los Angeles winter weather take a toll on your wallet, it could be time to get a new furnace.
It’s a great time to think of replacing your furnace in the fall – not just because it will make your wintertime more comfortable, but also because a new furnace can save you money on your energy bills. But there are a lot of different furnaces on the market, so how do you know which one is right for your home?
The most important thing to consider is the size of your home and your home’s heating needs. You should also consider the efficiency of the furnace and the manufacturer’s warranty. It is a good idea to work with a qualified professional who can help you find the right furnace for your home.
A New Furnace Can Save You Money
High Efficiency Ratings
Back in the day, the most efficient furnaces available had an efficiency rating of up to 80%. However, today, these ratings have drastically risen to 95%. This means that almost every bit of energy being used is converted to heat for your home. This can lead to significant savings in energy costs, making it a wise decision to replace your furnace, as the cost of the new system will eventually be made up in savings.
Fewer Repairs
Like many other important pieces of equipment, once a product reaches a certain age, its performance begins to decrease. Outdated furnaces often require regular repair and maintenance in order to keep running, and you could be losing a great deal of money in the long run.
Although investing in a new furnace may be a bigger outlay in the beginning, it is sure to save you money on repairs, energy bills, and any other associated costs. Furthermore, replacing your system before it breaks down could save you from having to endure unnecessary discomfort in your own home.
One of the best ways to increase the life of your furnace is to practice routine preventive maintenance, and Sleeping Giant has a great maintenance plan for Los Angeles and the surrounding area residents. Twice a year, our technicians will come to your home and check your heating and cooling systems.
Our professional cleaning and safety inspection of your system will ensure that it runs at optimal efficiency, and will help to prevent any future issues. We can provide an estimate on how much your system will save by being maintained regularly.
Home Value
If you’ve been thinking about putting your Los Angeles home on the market, you should consider having a new furnace installed. Oftentimes, potential buyers will be swayed by a home that has a brand new and reliable system.
Not only that, but you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of improved comfort levels and increased energy efficiency. Having a new furnace can give your home an extra edge and a more attractive price tag.
How much will I save by replacing my furnace?
Our professional team of experts will be more than happy to provide you with guidance and assistance when it comes to determining when it is time to switch from your current furnace to a new one, and of course, how much does a replacement furnace cost.
Don’t get burned by a bad house furnace
New furnaces are more intricate than ever before, with a plethora of new features, increased efficiencies, and higher prices. It is essential to ask the right questions of your HVAC technician in order to buy the best furnace for your home and to ensure a top-notch installation.
With the intention of getting the best advice for anyone interested in purchasing a new forced-air furnace, we sought the help of TFH Field Editors—experts in the field of HVAC technology as well as DIYers who have recently acquired one for their home.
They gave us an abundance of valuable data, including their top tips, warnings, lessons learned and the overall cost of buying a new gas furnace.
If you are looking for a new furnace, energy efficient brands might be the best option for you. But if you’re looking for simple furnace fixes you can do yourself, here are a few easy solutions.
Mid or High Efficiency Furnace Cost
Which efficiency furnace is best? Before you buy a furnace, you should take into account the local energy costs, potential rebates, tax credits and contractor markups. Additionally, here’s how you can replace or change your furnace filter.
How much is a furnace?
The Average Price of a Mid-Range
Efficiency Furnace for Homeowners
Cost: the installed cost from $1,500 to $2,500 does not include A/C and has an AFUE of 80 to 89 percent.
Savings: replacing a sixty-five percent efficient unit would result in a fifteen to twenty percent decrease in heating costs.
Venting: If you want to use an existing chimney, it may need some improvement; you should make sure the chimney is strong enough to support the appliance.
Average Furnace Cost for High-Efficiency Furnace
Cost: installation costs range from $3,000 to $5,000 without air conditioning, and the AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, is between 90-97 percent.
Savings: it is expected that heating costs will be reduced by 25 to 30 percent when you replace an outdated, 65 percent efficient unit.
Venting: Condensing units are designed to allow for a direct plastic PVC pipe to be passed through the wall to the outside in order to recover the extra heat contained in combustion gases by extracting water from them.
Highest efficiencies make sense when…
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You live within a climate that is colder than most and, depending on the law in your area, may be mandated to do so.
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You can plan on being in your house for the next 10 years and beyond.
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Energy prices in the local area are quite high.
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You’re making the decision to upgrade to a more dependable and energy efficient heating system for your home.
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The markup that contractors face is relatively low, as outlined in the article titled “Top Tips from an HVAC Pro” above.
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There are plenty of ways to save money on high-efficiency furnaces. While federal tax credits weren’t renewed for 2012, local, state, and utility rebates and incentives are still available. If you’re looking to take full advantage of all the savings out there, it’s worth checking out dsireusa.org for more information.
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Calculating the return on the investment is a wise decision, and it’s certainly reasonable to do so.
Single Stage or Two Stage Furnace Cost
Single-stage
A traditional single-stage furnace operates by running the burner at maximum power until heat is needed, and then it shuts off to conserve energy. Although these furnaces are initially cheaper than their two-stage counterparts, their lower energy efficiency, hot and cold spots, as well as their inconsistent temperature regulation, often make them less attractive over time.
Two-stage
Investing in a two-stage furnace over a single-stage unit will cost an extra $500, but it is worth the extra money. This type of furnace has two different settings, the low and the high.
The furnace will usually run on the low setting, but it can switch to the higher setting when needed. Most importantly, it will produce consistent heat without drafts or temperature swings, and is also both quiet and energy efficient.
If you follow these simple tips and tricks, you can actually double the lifespan of your furnace!
Two-speed or a variable-speed blower?
Standard two-speed When looking for a two-speed blower, which is sometimes called a “multi” speed blower, you may find that most of them have a PSC motor. One of the speeds is for heating and one is for cooling, giving it some cost savings compared to the other option of a variable-speed blower due to its low level of complexity that could potentially lead to a lower amount of necessary repairs in the future. This type of blower is louder than its counterpart and uses more electricity, so that should be taken into consideration.
Variable-speed A variable-speed blower is a great investment for your home or business, especially since it’s powered by an ECM motor that runs on DC power and adjusts its speed continuously to meet the needs of your living space.
It uses much less electricity than most standard motors, which helps keep your electricity bills low and your environment peaceful and comfortable. Although it does cost $600 more and may require more expensive repairs due to its complexity, it’s worth the investment for the extra comfort and convenience it provides.