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A home heating system is all but essential for most homes, but few people want to take the time and spend the money to buy a new furnace. Furnaces can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $14,000 depending on size and type, with oil furnaces being more expensive. A furnace will also last close to 20 years if it is well-maintained, so many people choose to keep having their units repaired to get as much life out of them as possible. Still, nothing lasts forever, and your furnace will need to be replaced eventually. As much as you may want to go out and buy a new furnace if your current model is no longer working as well as it once did, being too hasty in your purchase is not a good idea. There are certain things you should be doing before you install a new furnace. It depends on your home and what you need from your HVAC system. Here are some universal tips that will ensure that you can install the furnace you need when you need it.

Make Sure You Need a New Furnace The first thing you should do is to make sure you need a new furnace. Like we said before, a good furnace will last for nearly 20 years with the proper maintenance, but there are signs you can watch for to determine if it's reached the end of its lifespan. An HVAC repair professional will be able to locate these signs much more easily than you can, but that doesn't mean you can’t recognize them. Higher energy bills and a home that never seems to be warm enough could indicate that your furnace needs to work harder than it did before, and strange rattling or popping noises could indicate that the unit is on its last legs.

Know How Big Your New Furnace Needs to Be Your old furnace may or may not have been the correct size for your home, so simply using it as a guide when shopping for new furnaces isn't always a great idea. A furnace that is too big will cost more to run, while a furnace that is too small will be pushed to its limit and have a shorter lifespan. Determine the square footage of your home and shop for furnaces that are the appropriate size.

Research Different Furnace Brands There are several different furnace brands on the market, each of which has their advantages and disadvantages. Research different brands to decide which ones would be best for your home.

Look for an Energy Star Furnace When you shop for a new furnace, make sure it has the Energy Star label. This shows that it is energy-efficient, which will lower your home's carbon footprint and keep your utility bills at a manageable level.

Find a Reliable Service Professional A good service professional should do far more than just install your furnace. They should also be on hand to make repairs and perform regular maintenance. It is, therefore, very important that any service professional you hire be reliable and trustworthy. Do plenty of research on HVAC professionals in your area online, and ask friends and family members for recommendations.

Check Your Home for Drafts While having drafts in your home is never good, it can be particularly problematic if you are planning to install a new furnace. Drafts that come from gaps in your windows and walls can reduce the efficiency of even the best furnaces on the market, so look over your home and close off any drafts to make sure you get the most out of your new furnace.

Learn About Furnace Maintenance for Yourself Although you should have a service technician who can perform maintenance and repairs on your furnace, you should also learn a bit about how to address minor problems yourself. This can include changing your furnace filters, relighting the pilot light if it goes out or any other minor tasks you should be able to handle yourself.

Invest in a Programmable Thermostat If you don't have a programmable thermostat installed already, now is the perfect time to invest in one. A programmable thermostat will make it much easier to set the temperature of your furnace while making sure that it works efficiently. It's a small investment that will help save you money on your heating bills.