|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Don’t Just Survive the winter, Thrive in it
A reliable furnace is the heart of your home during the cold winter months, ensuring warmth, comfort, and peace of mind. Investing in a high-quality furnace not only keeps your family cozy but can also improve energy efficiency, leading to savings on utility bills.
A new furnace will help you to enjoy consistent heating and fewer unexpected breakdowns, making your home a haven of comfort all season long.
What to start thinking about
When it comes to heating your home, a high-quality furnace is an investment in your family’s comfort.
Modern furnaces are designed with advanced technology to maximize energy efficiency, translating to lower utility bills and a smaller carbon footprint. They offer superior performance, providing consistent, even heating throughout your home, so you never have to worry about cold spots or sudden temperature drops.
The 3 big questions:
1. How much will this cost?
2. What are my options?
3. Am I hiring a quality HVAC company?
This buyer’s guide will equip you with all the essential information about furnace systems, so you can make an informed purchase. You’ll gain a solid understanding of your options and the key decisions you’ll need to make before reaching out to installation companies like ours.
By taking the time to learn about furnace systems now, you can ensure you’ll choose the right one for your home that will keep you comfortable for years to come.
Table of Contents
Click on any chapter to jump to that section
- Chapter 1: Costs
- Chapter 2: System Types
- Chapter 3: Energy Efficiencies
- Chapter 4: Your Home Needs
- Chapter 5: Accessories
- Chapter 6: Thermostats
- Chapter 7: Choose an Installation Company
- Chapter 8: Installation Scheduling Logistics
Chapter 1
What Factors Determine the Cost of Your Furnace Installation?
Your home’s heating needs, and your own priorities, will influence your furnace’s installation costs. The selections about what type of furnace that you make determine how much you should expect to budget for.
Throughout this section, you’ll become familiar with the options at your disposal and how they impact installation costs.
There are 7 determining factors that will go into calculating the total cost of your furnace installation:
1. System Type
2. Energy Efficiency
3. Heating Capacity Needs
4. Installation Complexity
5. Accessories
6. Your Geography
7. Quality of Your Installation Company
Pricing Factors:
1. System Type
Furnaces, like many HVAC systems, can regulate their heat output based on the type of blower or burner they use.
The choice between a single-stage, two-stage, or modulating furnace has a major impact on your overall comfort, energy efficiency, monthly utility costs, and the system’s longevity.
While the number of stages is just one factor affecting the price, it is one of the most important considerations when selecting a furnace.
Single-stage furnaces typically range between $5,500 and $7,500
Two-stage furnaces typically range between $8,000 and $12,000
Modulating furnaces typically cost around $13,000
Jump to Chapter 2: Understanding Types of Furnaces
What is Equipment Matching?
Furnaces can use the blower motor from your air conditioner to help distribute heated air through your ductwork and vents.
- Single-stage air conditioners are compatible with any type of furnace.
- Two-stage air conditioners are compatible with two-stage or variable-speed furnaces.
- Variable-speed air conditioners are only compatible with variable-speed furnaces.
Pricing Factors:
2. Energy Efficiency
Furnace efficiency is measured by the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating, which indicates how effectively the furnace converts fuel into heat. A higher AFUE means better energy efficiency, but it often comes with a higher price tag.
The cost of installing a furnace is typically linked to its AFUE rating—higher-efficiency models tend to be more expensive upfront, but may be eligible for rebates and tax credits.
Jump to Chapter 3: Understanding Furnace Efficiencies
Pricing Factors:
3. Your Home’s Heating Needs (BTUs)
The heating capacity, also called the system’s size, of a furnace is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). The unique characteristics of your home will determine how many BTUs of heating you’ll need.
Your furnace’s size and installation price are directly related.
Jump to Chapter 4: The AC Sizing Needs of Your Home
Pricing Factors:
4. Installation Complexity
- Making ductwork modifications
- Making physical modifications to create space for the unit
- Attic Installations
- Ease of access and workability
- Additional Materials
Jump to Chapter 7: How to Choose an HVAC Company
Pricing Factors:
5. Accessories
Installing additional HVAC accessories can provide humidity control, indoor air quality improvements, and enhanced convenience of your heating system.
These enhancements help to make any home a more inviting place to live. You’ll see savings on HVAC accessory system installation costs by purchasing them at the same time as your furnace.
- Whole-House Dehumidifiers cost between $2,500 and $4,500 to install. Actual prices depend on the size of the space being treated.
- Whole-House Humidifiers cost between $900 and $3,500 to install. Actual prices depend on the size of space being treated.
- Whole-House Air Scrubbers cost roughly $1,600 to install.
- Whole-House Air Purifiers cost between $600 and $3,000 to install. Actual prices depend on the type and size of air purifier.
- Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems (ERVs), also known as air intake systems, cost between $3,000 and $6,000 to install.
- Smart Thermostats cost between $700 and $1,200 and may be required for your home if you’re installing a variable-speed system.
Jump to Chapter 5: HVAC Accessories
Pricing Factors:
6. Your Geography
Where you live plays a role in the final costs of your furnace installation, much like other goods and services. Homeowners in urban or suburban can usually expect to pay a little more than those in rural areas.
HVAC prices are typically average to above average in the suburban Philadelphia area compared to other regions of the country.
Where you live is out of your control, but considering of how it affects your furnace installation costs can help you understand if you’re getting a reasonable quote or not.
Pricing Factors:
7. The Quality of Your Installation Company
Within the HVAC industry, there’s a range of professionalism and service quality. You may be able to find lower quotes from a less professional company, however a low-quality installation can lead to issues with efficiency and longevity down the road.
Choosing a higher-quality is always recommended, which can come at higher installation costs but minimize problems in the future.
Jump to Chapter 7: Choosing an HVAC Company
- 4 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Your HVAC Company
- Pros & Cons of Independent Contractors vs. Non-Equity vs. Private Equity HVAC Companies
Budgeting and financing options
There are several ways to make the upfront costs of a furnace replacement more manageable. To start, most installation contractors provide financing options to help make the investment more affordable.
Here at Mattioni, we extend a 12-month, interest-free payment plan on all our new system installations. This payment structure applies to indoor air quality and humidity products as well, giving you total control over how you pay for your HVAC system upgrades.
We also offer financing options that include terms of up to 10 years. Check out our financing page to see if you’re pre-qualified.
Chapter 2
Understanding Types of Furnaces
Think of this like gears or “speeds” on a bike: if you have more speeds (or stages), the ride will be smoother (more comfortable) and you’ll use less energy.
Single-Stage Furnaces
- Adequate heating at a low installation cost
Two-Stage Furnaces
- Enhanced comfort and higher efficiency at a higher installation cost
Modulating Furnaces
- Optimal comfort and the highest efficiency at the highest installation cost
Single-Stage Furnaces: Pros and Cons
- Quickly Achieves Thermostat Temperature
- Lowest Up-front Installation Cost
- May Experience Comfort Short Cycles
- Low Energy Efficiency
- Requires Regular Maintenance
- Shortest Relative Lifespan
Two-Stage Furnaces: Pros and Cons
- Quickly Achieves Thermostat Temperature
- Higher Up-front Installation Cost
- Experiences More Consistent Comfort
- Higher Energy Efficiency
- Requires Regular Maintenance
- Longer Relative Lifespan
For instance, if your set thermostat temperature is relatively close to the current temperature, then the system can identify that it should utilize the lesser run speed. When this happens, your system will run for a longer period of time, resulting in a few things:
1. Sustained comfort. Two-stage systems can provide a slower, but steadier, influx of cool air to your home, reducing the length of time when the system turns off. The effect of this is that your home will stay closer to your set temperature, keeping you more comfortable.
2. Fewer start-up sequences. This will lead to less wear and tear and a decrease in energy consumed by the system. In the long run, this means your furnace will run into fewer issues and you’ll see savings in your utility bills.
Modulating Furnaces: Pros and Cons
- Quickly Achieves Thermostat Temperature
- Highest Up-front Installation Cost
- Consistent Temperatures For Sustained Comfort
- Highest Energy Efficiency
- Requires Regular Maintenance
- Longest Relative Lifespan
This further minimizes the time between the influx of cool airflow into your home, leading to:
1. Optimal comfort. Modulating furnaces do the best job of keeping your home near your desired temperature.
2. Greatest energy savings. This type of furnace is the most efficient and gives you the most savings on energy bills.
3. Longest potential lifespan. Modulating furnaces have the longest expected lifespan, however they’re also very dependent on regular tune-ups and proper maintenance to achieve that lifespan.
Chapter 3
Furnace Energy Efficiencies: Understanding AFUE Ratings
The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, or AFUE, is a measurement that evaluates what percentage of fuel is converted into heat. Think of it like this: a 92% AFUE furnace gets 92 cents worth of heat for every dollar of fuel.
The most notable segmentation in furnace efficiencies is between those in the 80% AFUE and 90% AFUE ranges.
90% AFUE furnaces achieve their high AFUE rating with a second heat exchanger that captures and recirculates heat exiting the system. They also contain other unique components such as a condensate drain.
AFUE ratings are directly related to installation pricing, but be mindful of the energy savings that come with a more efficient furnace. Today, the most efficient furnaces available are 98% AFUE.
Why Does Efficiency Matter?
The two primary advantages of an energy-efficient furnace are:
1. Environmental: Fewer greenhouse gas emissions with a smaller carbon footprint
2. Financial: Greater savings on energy bills
Chapter 4
The Heating Needs of Your Home
Choosing a furnace with the right heating capacity for your home is crucial for maximizing comfort and controlling energy costs, as well as ensuring the system’s long-term performance and durability.
When selecting a furnace, you’ll encounter various heating capacity options, measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). If directly replacing an old furnace, it’s not a bad idea to stick with the BTU output of that system. Be sure to talk to your HVAC professional about your home’s heating needs, as it can vary based on several factors besides your square footage.
Factors Impacting BTU Needs:
- Your home’s square footage
- The size of your existing ductwork
- The insulation rating of your home, windows, and doors
- The number and size of windows and doors
- The number of people living in your home
- The direction your home is facing and the amount of sunlight it receives
- The appliances in your home
- The color of your home’s exterior and roof
Get to Know Your Ductwork
Installing a system that’s too large for your ductwork can cause issues like weakened airflow, hindered energy efficiency, and increased wear and tear on the system. Similar issues arise if your system is too small for your ductwork.
Finding a system with the heating capacity that matches your home and the size of your ductwork is among the most important stages of your furnace replacement search.
Determining the “sweet spot” of BTUs for your home will support adequate airflow and keep the system running smoothly and efficiently.
Chapter 5
Accessories: Enhancing Your Comfort
Want a home comfort boost? There are a range of HVAC accessories that enhance your home’s atmosphere through humidity control, indoor air quality improvements, and convenience-oriented smart thermostats.
Don’t Let Your Home’s Humidity Levels Run Rampant
Humidity inevitably creeps into our homes during the summer months. If ignored, high humidity can lead to musty odors, discomfort, increased asthma and allergy symptoms, and mold growth.
On the other side of things, excessively dry winter air can cause itchy skin, dry eyes, peeling paint or wallpaper, and warped wood.
The best way to combat all of these unwanted symptoms is to install a whole-home humidifier and dehumidifier directly into your ductwork. This will keep your entire house in the ideal humidity range of 30%-50% all year long.
Advantages to Whole-Home Humidifiers & Dehumidifiers
- Elevate Comfort Levels
- Protect from Respiratory Ailments like Asthma
- Preserve your Home and Belongings
- Increase HVAC Energy Efficiency
- Fight Mold & Mildew
3 Benefits to Controlling Your Home’s Humidity with Humidifiers & Dehumidifiers
Consider Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Indoor pollutants, also called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), make their way into every house and can cause a slew of health problems if ignored. Installing a system designed to improve IAQ will make your home a healthier and more welcoming living space.
Here are 3 industry-leading indoor air quality products:
1. Air Purifiers: Industry-Leading Filtering Systems
Air purifiers use a series of high-grade filters housed directly in your ductwork to facilitate and clean your home’s entire air supply.
They trap contaminants and VOCs that would otherwise roam freely.
2. Air Scrubbers: Microscopic Space Cleaning
Air scrubbers attack VOCs microscopically while they linger in your home’s air by sending out UV-C radiation and charged molecules.
This process clumps VOCs together to until they reach a size that can be trapped in your air purifier, or can land on a surface and be sanitized.
3. Fresh Air Ventilators (FAVs): Fresh Air 24/7
Fresh air ventilation systems regularly and automatically exchange stale, indoor air with fresh outdoor air through a simple 6″ hole in your home’s exterior.
FAVs produce a constant and subtle flow of fresh air into your home.
How (And Why to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality with HVAC Systems
Rethink Climate Control in Your Home with Zoning
Zoning entails segmenting your home into different sections, and supplying each with individual levels of heating and cooling. It’s a good way not only to improve your home’s comfort but also to reduce energy otherwise wasted in parts of your home that you don’t spend much time in.
Is HVAC Zoning Right For My Home? The Pros & Cons of 2 Popular Zoning Methods
Benefits of Zoning:
1. Climate control within each individual room
2. Reduced energy usage
3. Enhanced system efficiency and longevity
Chapter 6
What Are Your Smart Thermostat Options?
Thermostats have been completely rethought over the last 10-15 years. If you haven’t upgraded to a smart thermostat yet, doing so at the same time as your furnace replacement might be a good decision.
Modern smart thermostats have several features designed to improve convenience, HVAC efficiency, and the comfort of your home.
Not Your Grandfather’s Thermostat
Among the new features now common in all smart thermostats is a geo-fencing capability that will automatically turn your heating and cooling systems on or off as you reach a set distance from your home.
This means that (1) you won’t waste energy while you’re away from home, and (2) your home will always be comfortable when you arrive, even if your schedule changes.
Learn more about how a smart thermostat can revolutionize your household:
Chapter 7
Choosing the right Furnace installation Company
Don’t underestimate the importance of choosing a quality hVAC installation company
The quality of your furnace installation has a direct impact on its short and long-term heating performance and efficiency level.
While it’s always great to start when looking for an HVAC installation company through a word-of-mouth referral, online resources like Google reviews and social forums with customer feedback are also excellent starting points.
When contacting an installation company, take notice of how each team member treats you. The professionalism shown by one department often reflects the overall quality of service you can expect.
It’s a good idea to reach out to multiple companies to get a better sense of who you’ll be working with and compare quotes.
What to Expect During an In-Home Consultation
Mattioni proudly offers same-day in-home consultations, during which we’ll go through the following steps:
1. Review Your Home Cooling Priorities
2. Analyze Your Existing HVAC System
3. Explore Tailored Options
In-home Consultations are crucial to choosing the right Furnace
An in-home consultation only takes about one to two hours and allows you to ask questions to a professional face-to-face.
With so many new options available, this consultation can be extremely valuable. You’ll be able to evaluate all system types alongside an HVAC professional, if you have yet to choose a specific model.
Perhaps most importantly, your HVAC partner will be able to inspect the unique characteristics of your home to ensure that you install a properly sized system.
Chapter 8
Furnace Installation Logistics
What to Expect On the Day of an AC Installation With Mattioni
Meet The Team
On the day of your new air conditioner installation, you’ll have the chance to meet the whole install team, which is usually a crew of 2-3 HVAC professionals.
Review
Our team will review all of the job notes and the job site, ensuring that the install plan set forward by our HVAC expert can be executed successfully.
Verify
At this time, our installers will walk you through the coming install and verify that everything planned for your home fits your wants and needs. They will also walk you through anything they need to do that may affect the rest of the home, such as shutting off any power, gas, or water for a short time.
Do The Work
We will get to work! Our installers will take out any old equipment that is being replaced, and carefully place and install your new equipment.
Check with any Changes
If there are any changes from the initial plan as your new installation progresses, our installers will check with you so that you are aware and so that we can make sure they fit your needs.
Walk-Through
Finally, when the job is complete, we will walk you through the new install of your system, showing you everything that was done and everything that you need to know to run and maintain your new system.
At Mattioni, we always strive for five-star service, so if you have any questions or concerns throughout the process of the install, please let us know and we will be sure to address them to meet your five-star expectations.
heat pump Installation FAQs:
1. Do I need to be home when service technicians are in my house?
While some homeowners may want to be home while the HVAC installation crew is working, it’s not necessary.
2. What day and time can I schedule my installation for?
Depending on availability, you can schedule your installation for as early as 8AM the next business day.
3. Do I need to clean up before my AC installation?
As long as there is access to the installation work site and any other areas that your HVAC installation team may need to operate in, there is no need to clean up beforehand.
4. How long does an AC installation take?
While the amount of time needed to install your new air conditioner depends on the complexity of the job, it will most likely be done within four to six hours.
5. Are there any short-term cooling options to get you to your installation date?
Most of the year, a quality HVAC company will be able to install your new air conditioner within 24 hours. However, for those high-demand situations during the peak of summer, the Mattioni team has a supply of window AC units to lend to anyone experiencing a cooling emergency.
6. What should I do about my pets during installation?
If you have a friendly dog or cat, there is no need to put them in a crate or close them off in a room if, unless you normally do so. We love saying hello to our customer’s pets!
Support After Installation
If you have any questions about your new system or if you need further support to understand how to use it, our team is glad to assist!
You’ll receive a complimentary VIP Membership with any installation. This includes yearly maintenance tune-ups for your system to ensure it continues to operate at peak performance.
Mattioni Plumbing, Heating and Cooling
Family Owned for Over 75 Years
“We’ve switched over to Mattioni the past year and can’t say enough about how pleased we are with this company. Great to deal with, on time, professional, knowledgeable and honest. I highly recommend this company for HVAC & Plumbing.” – Mark S.
“Mattioni has been exceptional for installing a new HVAC at my place. From Kevin’s proposal to Andrew and his crew’s installation process, I could not ask for a better consumer journey. Andrew took the time to explain the new unit and also provided tips for more comfort inside the home. Thank you for the great work. Definitely highly recommended.” – Bora G.
“The Mattioni team has been fantastic in every instance, providing honest, competitive pricing and a high standard of professionalism. We are extremely thankful that we chose to be a VIP member with them!” – Mike C.
The Mattioni family has seen many changes throughout our history, but one thing remains the same: our dedication to our customers.
Now in its third generation of family ownership, Mattioni continues to hold our values above all else.
All of our HVAC service technicians go through a rigorous training and apprenticeship program led by certified trainers, and participate in continued trainings, so that we can bring our customers a 5-star experience.
We proudly serve homeowners in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and parts of Bucks counties.
Our goal remains simple: provide high quality HVAC installations and service, so that everyone has a comfortable home to live in. Simply put, our services are guaranteed to go swimmingly.
