5 Reasons a Good Furnace is Important for Cold Climates

Living in areas where the weather hits icy temperatures each winter means you need a sturdy home furnace that can beat the freezing cold temperatures. Furnaces come with different fuel types, output capacities, and more.

The following five reasons for buying a good furnace can help you understand which priorities matter to you and what questions to ask your contractor when buying.

1. Dependability

When winter temperatures drop, you need a furnace that you can depend on to withstand even the coldest temperatures. Choosing a furnace for your home will work better if it’s the right capacity and size for your house. You can do some other things to ensure your furnace’s dependability through the cold season.

The quality of the contractor installing your furnace matters just as much as the furnace you choose. An HVAC expert will guide you in selecting the right one for your home’s needs. They’ll get it installed correctly and will also be able to maintain and service the unit over its useful life.

Set a schedule for regular, routine maintenance. If it needs repairs or servicing, have a technician come out immediately so your furnace stays in good, dependable, working order the whole winter through.

2. Size Does Matter

A good furnace has enough power to heat your entire home without putting strain on the unit. Furnace sizes are shown based on heat output in BTUs (British thermal units). After choosing the furnace you want based on fuel type, consider the square footage of your home to decide on the BTU output you need.

The larger the house, the more BTUs are required. You will need more BTUs of heating ability if you have high ceilings, or many windows and doors, especially if your windows do not have any covering, such as curtains, to keep the heat in longer.

As a frame of reference, a small 900-square-foot home would require approximately 30,000-45,000 BTUs of heat output. Buying a too-small furnace means it will have to run constantly to keep your home adequately warm, which increases your utility bills and decreases the unit’s life.

Don’t buy a furnace that’s too large, either. It will heat your house too quickly, causing the thermostat to turn off the heater too frequently. This results in short periods of warmth with many cold intervals instead of maintaining a stable, warm temperature.

3. Energy Efficiency

Larger homes need a furnace with a higher BTU output, and the purchase cost rises accordingly. Each furnace's efficiency rating shows how well they convert fuel into heat. If you see a 90% rating for efficiency, the furnace converts 90% of its fuel into heat for your home.

A larger, more expensive furnace could offset a higher initial cost by saving money on your monthly utilities because of higher efficiency.

Lower efficiency furnaces might cost less upfront, but you will need more energy to run them, which could increase your utility bills.

4. Improved Features & Technology

New furnace models come on the market yearly, and companies strive to make updates and improvements with new technology and additional features. When shopping for a new unit, ask your contractor how long your chosen model has been produced.

If it’s just hit the market, new features and tech might not have enough user experience to risk buying one. For older models, ask the contractor what kind of problems have come up, if any, with that model.

It's worth doing some homework on furnaces before you buy because several configurations and options exist, and you want to get a unit that meets your specific needs. Consider which of the following categories are most important to you while shopping for your new furnace:

• Durability, longevity
• Energy efficiency
• Humidity management
• Convenience, control
• Quiet operation
• Improved comfort
• Healthy air

5. Warranty Coverage

During a cold snap or prolonged, freezing winters, your furnace can undergo a lot of strain trying to keep your home warm. This could trigger malfunctions. Higher-quality appliances often have better warranties, while lower-efficiency, basic models tend to have warranties with a shorter coverage period.

The coverage offered by a warranty isn’t just a validation of your purchase, either. A good warranty could save you hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of dollars in repairs.

A heat exchanger, one of the major components in a furnace, is costly to repair. For example, if you live in Canada, having a properly working furnace is important. This is why you will want to look into buying the best furnace in Canada with a warranty that will save you from paying thousands out of pocket for repairs.

Conclusion

A good furnace can make the difference between just getting through a cold winter and enjoying the comfort and warmth of your cozy home. It’s worth investing in the best unit to fit the specific needs of your home, budget, and other considerations.

A dependable, energy-efficient furnace with all the features to provide the comfort you want and a warranty to give the protection you need can be a true match made in heaven.