Commonly, residential furnace installation will take between 4 and 10 hours. The size of your house, how the units fit inside, the type of furnace you choose and possible issues with the electrical, gas, or ductwork are factors that impact the length of the installation process.

Unless you are a professional HVAC technician, we don’t recommend you attempt to install a new furnace on your own. Vast knowledge, skills, and specialized equipment are necessary for correct furnace installation. Look for a reliable company to install a new furnace. They will manage all aspects related to it.

It all starts with examining your living space

If you already have an HVAC system, the HVAC technicians will examine the current HVAC system to decide what to do next. They will pay attention to several things and complete specific tasks such as:

• Examine the ductwork
• Measure the house
• Make an idea about your house’s cooling and heating needs
• Examine gas lines, electrical, and other HVAC components
• Know your budget for the new furnace

Finding the Right Furnace for Your Needs

When looking for a new furnace, you need to buy a furnace that is the proper size for your house. If the furnace is too small, it won’t be able to warm the home enough and will require a lot of maintenance. It will struggle to heat the home, so its components and parts will overwork and wear out long before their time. When the furnace isn’t powerful enough, the temperature inside the house won’t be even and some areas will be cold while others will be hot.

If the furnace is oversized, it will start to short cycle (turning on and off continuously) and overheat. The energy bills will increase and the furnace will wear down sooner than expected. When the furnace is too powerful for your house, it can also generate leaks and tears in the ductwork.

How will the installation process take place?

Since HVAC systems aren’t one size fits all, detailed measurements of your home are necessary to work and size a furnace accurately. It’s an essential step to take so that the new furnace meets the heating needs of your household.

Before installation

Good technicians will run complete calculations of heat loss throughout the house. They will look at all the heat your home loses through doors, windows, roof walls, attic, etc. They will examine the square footage and practical layout of your house. Afterward, they will calculate how much heating capacity the house needs. They will do it according to your lifestyle, budget, and heating goals. If need be, the team will help you purchase a new furnace that works with your particular needs, lifestyle, and budget. Energy-efficient furnaces are ideal as they help you save money in the long run.

Experienced technicians will select the proper size and power of the furnace. If the furnace isn’t the appropriate size, many issues can occur. Here are some:

• The blower fan is too weak and generates cold and hot spots in your house
• The blower fan is too powerful and causes leaks in the ductwork
• Airflow is too strong and creates pressure buildups that force the system to work harder than it should
• The system will short cycle—it will turn on and off a lot. The wear and tear of the system will aggravate rapidly and won’t heat the house evenly.

If you opt for a gas furnace, the experts need to see if the gas line allows enough fuel to power the new furnace. When you switch from an electric furnace to a gas model (or the other way around), the technicians will have to install new equipment so that the new furnace is compatible will the other components of the heating system.

Modern furnaces may have options like “smart home” technology, which includes phone apps and various appliances. Typically, new electrical lines will be necessary or modified to ensure efficient communication.

Since all furnaces require ductwork, it’s typical for the current ductwork not to work with the new furnace. Improperly sized ductwork can alter the furnace’s performance and decrease overall comfort. Plus, it will wear out and break a lot, causing expensive repairs.

If you install an air conditioner simultaneously, some things during the installation process will be particular. Establishing a complete system with a furnace and AC unit will take a full day (6-10 hours). Should changes be necessary, the installation process may stretch into two days.

We must highlight that a responsible company should give you all the details about the installation process you need. Even if changes to the ductwork aren’t necessary, you should know what to expect during the installation. The last thing you want is to go over the budget or end up with a wrongly installed furnace.

During the installation

Select a dependable and reputed company to install the new furnace. The technicians should walk you through the installation before work is started. A time frame for the building and a budget should also be provided. The technicians should be certified by NATE (North American Technician Excellence). They have to know the local building codes and get the permit for installation, if necessary.

The process can get tricky when the technicians have to remove an old furnace and install new equipment. They will install the new furnace according to the manufacturer’s specifications and test the new system to see if it’s safely and efficiently running.

You know that you’ve hired the right team when they manage all details throughout the installation. The technicians should clean and prepare the areas of the installation. When the installation is over, they will pick up and remove all dirt and debris around the unit. The space will look as good as it did beforehand. When the technicians pack up and leave, you should worry about their reliability.  It means a sloppy and unprofessional job.

After installation day

Once the technicians have left, you can see how the new furnace is performing. If something seems “off,” you need to call and inform the company immediately. They should come and solve anything that wasn’t correctly installed. Needless to say, there should be no extra fees for repair work.

You should know how the thermostat works with the furnace and get all the necessary information from the installation team. Don’t forget to talk about a maintenance plan with the technicians. Even if it takes some time until maintenance is needed, you want your system to run for the longest time. A year of servicing is ideal, starting a year after the installation.

Before you call the HVAC company

Furnaces are complex appliances and they require professional installation and maintenance. We recommend you look for a reliable company to install a new furnace. We also advise you to contact them before buying the furnace, as they can help you select the proper model for your home.