Options When Considering A New Furnace For Your Home
Furnaces come in many styles and sizes to fit just about any home. When it is time to install a new furnace in your home, you will need to decide what is the best option for you. If you are unsure about what you need, a furnace installation company can help.
Gas or Oil?
There are a lot of different fuel options when you are selecting a new furnace. Choosing a furnace for your home can have a lot to do with the fuel available and the cost of it. If gas is the fuel most accessible to you, it makes sense to go with a gas furnace. If you live in an area that heating oil is the fuel of choice, it may be cheaper to use an oil furnace. In either case, the fuel cost can also play a role in the selection so check the cost of fuel and what you can easily get before you buy the furnace.
Hot Water or Hot Air?
Another option to consider is whether you want a hot air furnace or a hot water boiler in your home. The boiler has the added advantage of heating your domestic hot water as well as providing heat, but if you have never had one, the plumbing that needs installing throughout the house is quite extensive. Hot air systems, on the other hand, need ductwork for them to push the heat through. If you have a hot air system or an air conditioning system in the home, the ductwork may already be there. If you don't, the ducts will need installing, and it can also be a big job.
Clean Burning Systems
When you choose a boiler that uses heating oil for fuel, you will sacrifice a little in terms of how clean it burns. The oil burner will need cleaning more often than the gas furnace, but they should both have yearly service. The gas furnace may put out a little fewer emissions as well, but the difference is so minimal that it may not weigh into the decision for many.
Annual Service
Cleaning the furnace, any filters in the system, and the burner or heat chamber is critical to keeping the furnace running correctly. The service company will check all the vital components as well as clean everything, so you don't have to worry about the furnace breaking down in the dead of winter at three in the morning.