New Furnace and A/C

[staceymic]

Hi, I live in the Newmarket area and am in the process of shopping for a new furnace and A/C.

Problem is - I find it very difficult to find out how much I should expect to pay, what is a good deal, etc....I've been doing web searches and have found nothing really.

Anyone know what would be considered a good deal for a furnace and central A/C for a 1300 square foot town house??

Thanks in advance!

[sweet sparrow]

There's so many in terms of options, brands, quality, etc. There are manufacturer's discounts every once in awhile and I'm not sure if the government rebates and eco-audit rebates are still on. If you call at the right time, the brand name furnaces/AC units might not be much more than the cheapest option.

I've also heard that the quality/efficiency depends on your installer as well. There are some super cheap companies that may not come back if you call to honour your warranty and I know my friend had a nightmare with the installation of her new furnace. I would call a few places for quotes, but also check the reviews on the businesses to see how they resolve any issues.

[staceymic]

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it!

So true, Direct Energy actually came in and cleaned my furnace and that's when he discovered something wrong with the furnace and A/C. (Which I was expecting based on my home inspection 2.5 years ago - they are both 21 years old).

I told him I would shop around and he warned me about "ABC" companies - that I need to protect myself with the following questions - are they insured? am I insured through them? is there a warranty? how many trucks do they have on the road to handle a call if I need them to come? etc....he was actually quite knowledgable and nice...he said, you might save a couple hundred dollars with them but will you actually save it if they don't do what they are supposed to after the fact....

I am getting a quote from them on Friday (my sister got hers from them 2 years ago and was quite impressed, even though many people complain about them). They did a great installation job, were clean and after installation, she had a question about a pipe they installed, someone came right out and explained it to her. I've always had good service from them too. My last furnace needed major repairs twice and they came out quickly and it was covered under my plan. Plus, she said their price was comparable to other ones she got....so we will see.

Wish me luck!

[sweet sparrow]

It may be that Direct Energy hires an outside company to do their furnace installations (like Costco and Sears) and quality will differ from region to region. Ask when they give you the quote. I checked their website briefly and only saw Amana pictured as a supplier, which is not one of the companies that are leading in energy efficient technology (at least, not when I did my research about two years ago). I'd suggest getting some quotes from suppliers with higher end models just to make sure the price is in line (the cost should be significantly cheaper).

If you like, I can PM where I read up on furnaces and A/Cs. It'll keep you busy for days, or at least several hours reading through it all.

If your sister lives in your area and they use the same installers, you might be in luck. If they use outside contractors it'll be more of a gamble.

[staceymic]

Hi, if you could PM that link, that would be great! Thanks again!

[blueeyetea]

It's hard to determine. Ask around in your area to see who has a good reputation. In my area, we have two companies that have been around a long time and stand behing their product. Another thing as well, they also supply you with the fuel to heat your house, so being on the up when they sell you a furnace is to their advantage, or they run the risk of losing you to a competitor.

Apart from that, I suggest you get as high an efficiency furnace as you can. The difference in price will pay itself via the savings in fuel you're realise.

[anisa]

i went through this last yr with replacing my AC. it is very hard to research manufacturers for some reason. not a lot of info out there, and i love to research the heck out of things ;p .

i ended up going with home depot. yes i know they contract it out, but i was having such a hard time trying to figure out which company to go with. i figured if something goes wrong i can go after them easier than some local smaller company.

it turns out the company they contract out for my area was great. the owner was nice, and really great guys came out to do the install. and now i have a contact for any future work,

reliance advertises a lot in my area, after a little googling i found that they have a lot of very unhappy customers.

this is a site where you can search different companies and see what other ppl have to say about them.
http://homestars.com

[staceymic]

That's totally how I feel! You want to make sure it's a big enough company that you can go to if necessary, after the fact!

Thanks for sharing!

[Ciel]

Reliance will try selling homeowners a care package that covers furnace & a/c together. I have had to explain to their telemarketers that I read the agreement online and realize that without an a/c, that package has no merit for the family members who own the home. So no more calls for that offer. The hot water heater is rented from Reliance and a leak was covered through the rental a year ago.

But Direct Energy sent an unaddressed mailer last week-it seems they are trying to do home services. Would suggest you read all of the fine print because you may notice what conditions apply and how they are enacted, etc.

This year, in the Chill magazine (yes, that beer magazine in Ontario), I noticed that Napoleon advertised either its BBQs or furnaces. The furnaces are made in Canada (good for supporting jobs here!)--look for their website, the furnaces are pricey but high-efficiency. But you might have a local heating/cooling company that retails the product. The gas furnace at this home is a very old one--I have asked a sibling to consider looking into the Napoleon unit but I was refused. Once the old unit is toast (please not during winter!), a new unit will be needed.
http://www.napoleonheatingandcooling.com/?page_id=525C
Your closest dealer is in Scarborough:
http://www.torontohomecomfort.com/

If there is a fall home show, you will be able to talk to an employee about where their products come from and which brands they carry. Otherwise, look who is listed in your Yellow Pages locally and see if they have information on websites, so you can ponder which units might suit you and then visit the store.