Three Of The Most Common Mistakes When Replacing Your Furnace, And How You Can Avoid Them
If you've made the step of purchasing a new furnace for your home, you're probably excited about the years of comfort to come. While most of today's furnaces promise plenty of savings on your energy bill, some homeowners take it a step further and try to save money by installing their own system. If you don't have experience in this area though, you can quickly find yourself in trouble. Here's a look at some of the most common mistakes people make when replacing their own furnaces.
Mistake #1: Not Having The Right Sized Furnace
One of the most common mistakes people make is having a furnace that's not the proper size for their space. A furnace that's too small won't be able to do the job effectively, and will constantly be running. This will not only drive up your energy bill, but cause wear and tear on your system prematurely. A system that's too large will be constantly turning on and off, which will also rapidly wear down the components of your furnace.
Mistake #2: Not Having Proper Ventilation
This isn't a problem with electric furnaces, but gas furnaces will need to have proper ventilation. As a gas furnace transfers heat to the air, it creates combustible gas, which will need to be vented properly. Gas furnaces have an exhaust flue that needs to be installed precisely. If it's installed incorrectly, or if it's the improper size, you could have a very dangerous circumstance where that gas is flowing back into the house.
Mistake #3: Not Installing the Ducts Properly
If you're replacing an existing furnace, that likely means you're working with a set of ducts that are already in place. Unfortunately, this usually isn't an easy task. There's a good chance you'll have to reconfigure some ducts to fit the new furnace, and when you do that, it's common to see problems. This may seem like a relatively simply task, but if you're not experienced, you'll likely make mistakes. Improperly connected duct work will leak, and cause your system to work harder, costing you more money.
Of course, even if you take steps to avoid these mistakes, replacing your furnace is still a relatively complicated job. In fact, it's probably one you shouldn't attempt to tackle on your own. Trusting a professional furnace repair and replacement service won't only save you the stress of doing it yourself, but it will make sure the job gets done right the first time.
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