Why You Should Leave Furnace Installation to the Pros
Installing a furnace is a job for your local HVAC contractor. Most homeowners have a list of projects that require little more than a do-it-yourself spirit and a positive attitude. However, taking on one of today’s complex, sophisticated heating systems isn’t one of them. Leave furnace installation to the pros to ensure safety, comfort, and optimum system performance.
A furnace installation requires a combination of technical training, mechanical skills and specialized equipment. The cost of a new high-efficiency unit makes it worth ensuring that it is properly installed. Hiring a professional for the job presents certain distinct benefits:
Access to products – You might be surprised to discover that the quality equipment made by major manufacturers of heating and cooling systems may not even be available to do-it-yourself installers. Many name brands limit sales to established, reputable HVAC contractors. This isn’t a marketing strategy but a quality control and customer satisfaction policy. Manufacturers sell heating and cooling equipment on the basis of very specific promises of performance and efficiency, and their reputation depends on meeting those promises. These technical parameters in turn depend heavily on proper installation by qualified personnel. In most cases, these will be technicians certified by industry trade groups and who may also have received training from the manufacturers themselves. It’s in both the homeowner’s and the industry’s best interests that the job of installing a furnace is done by people trained to do it, not amateurs learning on the job.
Tools and equipment – Modern furnaces come out of the crate requiring an array of specialized tools for installation typically not part of the average homeowner’s collection. These can range from plumbing tools to install condensate drains and thread gas pipes, to carpenters’ tools required to alter the installation space to fit the new unit (a newer model often will be a different size than your old furnace), to electrical meters and test equipment. Metal fabrication equipment will also be necessary to alter or manufacture ductwork to accommodate the new system.
Experience – A furnace installation brings together requirements for expertise in several fields. Relevant training and experience are generally necessary to properly size the ductwork and match it to the output of the furnace and/or to alter the layout to accommodate a larger capacity. A familiarity with plumbing including on-site pipe fabrication, gas volume, proper venting and household drain systems is also necessary. Electrical experience may be needed to wire thermostats and other control systems as well. Welding skills and the expertise to braze copper tubing are called for if you are installing a furnace/central A/C combination unit.
Environmental concerns – Replacing a combo furnace/AC unit requires dealing with refrigerants under high pressure that are not good for the environment. In the push toward more environmentally-friendly systems, chemicals such as the R-22 refrigerant which is considered to be harmful to the ozone, are now banned by world environmental agreements. Handling of these refrigerants require special certification, and are required by law to be properly recovered and delivered to a recycler — not vented to the atmosphere. Recovering refrigerant requires specialized vacuum equipment and a standardized procedure that complies with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules.
Safety – Furnaces produce a very hot open flame and potentially deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas. Proper installation ensures safe operation by following the manufacturer’s recommended procedures. A DIY job or service provided by an untrained person could place the lives of your loved ones at substantial risk from fire or CO poisoning.
A trained technician will also be able to ensure that the furnace is the right size for your home so that heating will be adequate. In addition, the right furnace, properly installed, will provide optimum performance and energy efficiency
For expert and reliable furnace installation or help with upgrading your system, contact Wood Air Conditioning & Plumbing, Inc. at 903-285-6550 today. We proudly serve Mt. Pleasant and the surrounding communities.
Image provided by Shutterstock