Furnace Guide: Furnace Types, Popular Brands, Cost, Repair, Maintenance, and Installation
The furnace in your home is the powerhouse that keeps your home warm, keeping you and your family comfortable, no matter how cold it gets in Conejo Valley. What furnace works for your home may not work for somebody else in Ventura County, though. So, when you need service on your furnace, a knowledgeable and trusted contractor like Conejo Valley Home Services. is the right step.
Over the lifetime of servicing your home, a furnace may need emergency furnace repair that requires the experience of an HVAC contractor professional. Sometimes it simply needs your attention for basic maintenance and not any detailed heating repair.
Here, we have compiled a list of the basic things that you, as a homeowner, basic maintenance on your furnace. By following through with these things, you shouldn’t find yourself in need of an emergency furnace repair.
Basic Homeowner Maintenance
Your furnace is like your vehicle in the way of needing basic attention with maintenance and upkeep. The things that keep it working smoothly, especially when you need it most, and to give it as long of a life as possible. Subsidence repair in the surroundings should carried out prior to furnace inspections. Combine the following steps by you with regular service by a professional HVAC contractor that services the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas, not only will your furnace be ready at the start of winter, but it will keep it in top condition too.
- Schedule with a professional HVAC contractor, Conejo Valley Home Services, just before Fall for a preventative maintenance checkup.
- Every furnace manufacturer has recommended intervals when your furnace filter should be cleaned or changed. Conejo Valley Home Services recommends doing this monthly, as most other HVAC contractors in San Fernando Valley do, all throughout the fall and winter seasons. The more you use your furnace, the more frequently you may need to perform this task.
- Check all registers and vents throughout your home to make sure there isn’t any carpeting, rugs, furniture, or other things that could hinder heated air flowing properly through the ducts and into your home.
- If you don’t have one already, purchase a programmable thermostat. Then based on your household schedule, to lessen the work on your furnace and help your energy bill, set the programming with energy-efficient setpoints that will have your home comfortable when you’re there and not working when nobody is home.
Costs to Repair Your Furnace in different areas of California
So, when your furnace isn’t working properly or at all, you must call a professional HVAC contractor that services your area. You can expect a basic service call charge, and if it is an emergency furnace repair, like after business hours, weekends, or holidays, the service call will be higher. This will cover their time to do a system diagnosis that will enable them to determine the problem.
Some heating repair contractors charge a flat rate for the basic service call, again, you can expect it to be higher after hours, weekends, or holidays. Consider it as an ER visit to the hospital for you is more than if you have an office visit to your doctor.
Besides the basic service call, there is the charge to repair your furnace, and this can vary depending on the brand, the problem, and the cost of parts needed for furnace repair. Some companies will void the service call if you have the repair done then, but if they must return, you’ll be charged a service call fee each time.
Approximate charges for furnace repairs depend on the brand, the age of the furnace, and the part(s) needed.
RECOMMENDED READING: Furnace Troubleshooting and Repair
What If Your Furnace Isn’t Repairable?
Depending on the age of your furnace, an HVAC contractor may not repair it, or the cost of repair is more than feasible and logical. When buying a replacement furnace, though, how do you know which one is the best for the price you can afford? What features should you demand, which ones should you desire but could be flexible on?
The following are some well-known brand names suitable for homes in Conejo Valley areas, Ventura COunty, Los Angeles County and San Fernando Valley areas. Use the information we’ve provided to help you choose the one that is right for you and your home. Listing in alphabetical order only:
- Amana
- American Standard
- Bryant
- Carrier
- Coleman
- Daikin
- Day & Night
- Goodman
- Heil
- Kenmore
- Lennox
- Payne
- Rheem
- Ruud
- Tempstar
- Trane
- York
The Cost of A New Furnace and More
The purchase of a new furnace is only part of the expense of getting your home warmed up. There is also the cost to have it installed by a professional. A handy homeowner can do many things in a home, but only an experienced and insured contractor should do something like installing a new furnace system.
The cost of buying the furnace to having it installed can vary based on several factors. The factors that can affect this cost would be one or a combination of the following:
- Brand of equipment
- Size of furnace
- Energy efficiency requirements
- Features of equipment
- Installation requirements by local governing, the structure, and manufacturers
We can’t stress it enough that a homeowner should not attempt to install their own furnace. The cost of the equipment will be the biggest part of this scenario and the additional cost to have a professional service such as Conejo Valley Home Services is always recommended, and for a few reasons:
- 1). A trained professional will install it, and they have the proper equipment, tools, and knowledge.
- 2). The install will come with a guarantee and warranty.
- 3). The manufacturer’s warranty won’t be compromised.
It isn’t worth the risk of damaging your new furnace or comprising the warranty with the manufacturer. You risk wasting energy from improper installation. With this in mind, do your homework and research the brands, their features, the pros and cons of each one. The technology of energy efficiency is wide and can be confusing.
Related Article: A Complete Guide to Furnace Installation
At the End Of The Day
Choose a unit with enhanced user experience and options that fit your home and lifestyle, so you get the most for your money that results in your comfort, operational savings, and is sustainable.
