How a Furnace Works: A Quick Overview

Understanding the basics of how a furnace works can help you look for the right things when selecting a furnace for your home.

Most furnaces in Calgary, AB, have the following key components:

• Thermostat: measures the temperature of the air in your home and adjusts it according to your settings
• Burners: if the air in the home needs heating, fuel is sent to the burners, which light and heat the heat exchanger
• Blower motor/heat exchanger: a blower circulates air over the heat exchanger and it is warmed
• Ductwork: the hot air is carried around the home through the ductwork

Furnace Installation: What to Expect

Selecting the right furnace is only half the battle with heating your home efficiently. Installing it makes a big difference too.

At Alpha Plumbing, our licensed technicians provide furnace installation services that not only get your system up and running—but keep it that way.

Because of our experience in installing, maintaining, and repairing all types of heating systems, you can depend on our team to get the job done professionally and safely, with the minimum of upheaval and leaving your home the way we found it—only a little warmer!

We will answer any questions you may have before, during, and after the installing process and ensure that you know how your furnace and thermostat operate before we leave.

It will help us if you can clear the installation area before our team arrives and ensure that there are no children or pets in the vicinity. Before we leave, we will conduct thorough safety tests.

Furnace Installation Costs

Before you can estimate the cost of a furnace, it helps to understand what type of furnace you are looking at. All furnaces can help keep you warm in winter but they do it in different ways—largely depending on what type of fuel they use.

Natural gas furnace installation costs

Average cost of furnace + installation: $5,500 to $7,500 + HST
Natural gas remains the most common fuel to power furnaces in Calgary, homes. It is cost-effective and reasonably environmentally friendly. Most homes here have a gas line except those in more rural areas.

Propane furnace installation costs

Average cost of furnace + installation: We currently do not offer propane furnace installs
Where natural gas is not available, a propane furnace is a good option. While the units themselves and the cost of installation are manageable, heating costs vary greatly depending on the efficiency of the furnace you select.

Electric furnace installation costs

Average cost of furnace + installation: We currently do not offer electric furnace installs
Electric furnaces are very efficient and relatively simple and affordable to install, but electricity prices are high and this increases the running costs.

Furnace Installations for Your Home

Home heating extends beyond the efficiency of your furnace. We specialize in manufacturer-approved maintenance, annual tune-ups, and new furnace installations. Call us to know more at 403-470-5785.

Which Factors Affect Furnace Installation Costs?

When you consider the overall costs of a new furnace, the installation costs are a major component, as well as the upfront cost of the unit. Your total costs are influenced by:

• The location of your home: some rural areas don’t have access to propane or gas lines, which could affect your furnace options (is electricity or oil your only option?)
• The type of furnace: the quality, energy efficiency, size, space requirements and so on all vary between furnace brands and this will affect the overall furnace installation costs.
• The difficulty of installation/labour costs: for difficult installations, more man-hours are required and if you are upgrading from a smaller to a larger furnace, more space may need to be created.
• Size of home/unit: the square footage of your home will affect the size of the furnace you require. Homes on average in Calgary need around 100,000 BTUs of heating capability.
• Your previous furnace type: if you are switching from an electric furnace to a gas furnace (or vice versa), this will increase your installation costs as gas lines may need to be installed and additional ductwork may be necessary

What to Consider With a New Furnace Installation

Your choice of fuel is only one consideration of many when selecting and installing a new furnace. The following four factors are also important.

Load calculation

First up, a load calculation considers all the factors that affect the heating requirements in your home, including house size, location, foundation type, window type, location, and other factors.

One of our qualified furnace technicians can help you with a load calculation so that you select the right size and type of furnace for your home.

BTU capacity

You need a furnace with a sufficient heating capacity (BTU) to heat your home but not one that eats up fuel unnecessarily. Generally, homes in Calgary need 30 to 60 BTUs for every square foot of living space, depending on the age of the home.

A furnace technician from Calgary can help you calculate this so that you select a furnace with the right heating capacity to keep you warm all winter.

AFUE rating

The annualized fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating measures how energy efficient a furnace is at converting its fuel source into heat. So, the true heating capacity of a furnace considers the AFUE rating and the BTU reading. This will help you compare different furnaces more accurately.

If a furnace has an AFUE of 85 percent, it turns 85 percent of the energy to heat, with 15 percent lost. A unit with a BTU rating of 100,000, therefore, is really only 85,000.

Warranty

New furnaces usually come with generous warranties (5 to 10 years) that will protect your new investment if you maintain it regularly with a qualified furnace technician. You may also be able to purchase an extended warranty for an additional fee.

Furnace Installation Process

The most popular type of furnace in Calgary homes is a forced-air gas furnace. The following steps cover the basic installation process:

• Select your furnace: choose from a variety of brands, BTU/AFUE ratings, etc.
• Select the location for installation: ensure it is clean, with adequate space for ventilation and drainage.
• Decide where your duct and drain will be: cut the required hole in the unit for the return air duct and position the furnace suitably for the condensate drain exit.
• Connect to the ducting system: be sure to seal any connection with metal foil tape or a proper duct sealant.
• Connect vent pipes: these should be at a slight angle sloping towards the unit for condensation to drain.
• Connect the gas supply: ensure adequate shutoff/ventilation and check for leaks.
• Connect the electrical supply: you should find two connections on your furnace—a low voltage and a line voltage.
• Connect the condensate drain: usually via a hose to a drain hole in the floor of your basement.

That’s it. Once the installation has been checked by running your furnace through a heating cycle for an hour and checked for any gas leaks, you’re done.

Please note that a furnace installation is a job for a professional and licensed technician. Do not try to install your furnace unless you are qualified to do so.

Furnace Replacement Services

When to Replace Your Home Furnace

If your furnace is more than 10 years old, it may not be running as efficiently as possible. In fact, an aging furnace could be wasting up to 40 cents of every dollar you spend to heat your home.

Here are a few more signs you’re due for a furnace replacement:

• Numerous service calls
• Rapidly increasing energy bills—even though thermostat settings remain the same
• Hot and cold areas around your house
• The furnace repeatedly cycles on and off and distributes cold air
• Increased noise—especially rattling, popping, humming, screeching or squealing
• Burner flames are yellow, not blue—indicating incomplete combustion, leaking gas and/or carbon monoxide

At Alpha Plumbing, our furnace experts strive to install only the most energy-efficient furnaces. Some of these models feature a quiet, variable-speed design that can heat your home at several speeds. This increases comfort while potentially using less energy and optimizing indoor air quality.

It is always worth remembering that by having routine tune-ups, you can make your furnace last longer and avoid costly emergency service calls.

A new furnace replacement that is rated for efficiency may be more affordable than you realize, especially when considering our financing plans and the long-term potential heating savings.

The experienced furnace technicians from Alpha Plumbing can help you select and install the right furnace, providing several flat-rate options in writing so that you can make an informed decision.

Financing is available if required and all work is covered by our one-year guarantee for parts and labour.