One thing that’s always stressed to homeowners is to expand their DIY knowledge whenever possible for a number of reasons. First of all it’s always nice to be comfortable doing work in your own home, learning a new skill while saving money in the process. The second is that they find a newfound appreciation for services that do perform the work and won’t be so apt to rush them or complain about prices in the future. Of course, DIY work only goes so far and there are all too many times when calling ‘the guy’ isn’t just recommended, it’s mandatory. One such instance is with a furnace installation – and the reasons why are easy to understand.
Picking the Right Furnace in the First Place
There are a number of factors that go into selecting the correct tonnage for a new furnace including square footage, number of floors, number of windows, insulation, basement, etc. A professional HVAC technician knows how to measure and input these variables to find the perfect sized unit whereas the average DIYer likely doesn’t. If a furnace / air-conditioner unit is too big it won’t process the air and humidity properly, while one that is too small will cycle constantly driving up utility rates. In fact some manufacturers won’t even sell a furnace to anybody outside a registered installer or dealer.
Pros Have Tools Accessible
One of the main reasons to attempt a DIY installation would be to save money on labor, but by the time you also purchase or rent all the specialty tools and testing equipment required for a proper install it’s often a wash.
Electricity & Gas
Perhaps the most important reason to leave a furnace installation to the professionals is because of the need to work with gas and electricity which can be dangerous not only at the time the unit is put in, but down the line as well if performed improperly. Plus, most jurisdictions won’t even let an untrained individual tap into the gas main legally, so calling a pro is a no-brainer.
Time
You might be able to nonchalantly paint rooms in the house over the course of 5-6 weekends, but how long can a home go without heat?
Warranty Requirements
The furnace warranty is a homeowner’s lifeblood for the first few years of installation. Any manufacturer worth their mettle though is going to require documentation that the unit is not only put in by a pro, but inspected by a trained individual annually otherwise they’ll void all liability…legally.
Energy Efficiency
Another huge reason to leave the furnace installation to a trained technician is because you want to be 100% certain it’s put in right. Leaks in duct work or other system deficiencies caused by a hack install are literally costing the homeowner money every time the furnace cycles on.
Summation
In the end, a DIY furnace installation is flat out a bad idea. Any up-front money saved by not having to pay for professional labor is squandered in higher electricity bills, the time it takes to complete the project, and simply having dangerous living conditions.