Finding the Right Furnace for Your Home

The end of summer has many Sacramento homeowners looking ahead on the calendar. The fall and winter bring with them a long to-do list that includes back-to-school shopping, lawn care, putting your air conditioner into hibernation, and making sure your furnace is ready for the colder months ahead. But what do you do when it’s not ready? Repair? Replace? And if you decide to call Ace Plumbing for furnace installation, how do you know you’re choosing the right one?

Furnace Trouble Signs

The first step is to determine whether to repair or replace your furnace. Start by identifying the signs of trouble; follow up with a call to Ace Plumbing.

• Odd Conditions: Soot, burn marks, or a flame that’s any shade other than blue are all signs of trouble. They could also mean your furnace giving off deadly carbon monoxide, so don’t wait to call for furnace repair.
• Strange Noises: Each system has a sound all its own, so if yours doesn’t sound like it used to, call us.
• Frequent Repairs: Maintenance is essential, but if it seems you’re making repairs annually (or more often), it’s probably time for a new furnace.
• Climbing Utility Bills: Energy bills going up? A broken or aged furnace has to work longer and harder to heat your home, consuming more energy in the process.
• Age: EnergyStar says your furnace should last 15-20 years. If it’s been there awhile, new designs and smart thermostats can save you money long-term.

We take a conservative approach — like you, we’d prefer to repair than replace — but there are circumstances under which a furnace replacement is your best bet.

Picking the Right Furnace

Ace Plumbing has many years’ experience with furnace repair, installation, and furnace tune-ups. We can
help you choose a brand that will last, and if you choose, we’ll be in it for the long haul with you to provide essential furnace maintenance and repairs.

But the brand isn’t even the most important consideration when you’re picking a new furnace. It’s something else — something that a lot of homeowners, homebuilders, and contractors too often get wrong. More than the brand, the size of your furnace matters.

Just buying another furnace of the same size, and from the same manufacturer, won’t cut it. When homes are built, contractors typically size HVAC systems one of two ways: square footage, or on the logic that more is better. Neither approach is correct.

Ace Plumbing uses Manual J Load calculation. It takes a home’s construction into account as much as its size. A prewar bungalow, a 1960’s starter home, or a newer prefab house can all have identical square footage but vastly different heating needs because of things like their insulation, insolation (inbound sunlight), materials used, and ceiling height. We start with the right size, then give you a choice of brands we know to be reliable. We can also make suggestions for other energy-saving steps you can take (like a smart thermostat).

For HVAC service with a difference, contact Ace Plumbing. We’ve helped countless homeowners in the Sacramento area with everything from plumbing emergencies to their heating and cooling repair needs, so why not see how we can help you?