Boston Gas Furnace

A gas furnace in Boston isn't the rarity that it once was. Natural gas has made some big inroads in New England during the last quarter of the 20th century, eventually overtaking heating oil as the primary fuel source for heating residential homes. That being the case, purchasing a new Boston gas furnace is a smart choice for homeowners across Greater Boston, whether you're installing your first gas furnace in Boston, or replacing that old gas guzzler with a new, energy-efficient model.

Boston Gas Furnace Costs
Lowering monthly utility bills is an important aspect of purchasing a new furnace for your home, but the initial cost of furnace installation still tops the list of concerns for most homeowners. ServiceMagic.com tracks furnace installations that begin as contractor referrals in our system, and based on the data we've compiled, we can give you an idea what you're in for if you see a new furnace on the horizon. Based on information we've gathered from homeowners, an average furnace installation in Beantown runs $5,750, though they can run as little as $2,500, and as much as $13,000. Why the huge discrepancy between our high and low figures? It can be attributed to a number of factors, including the quality of the unit installed, the size of the home, and whether the home is furnace ready or not (installing new ductwork, for instance, can raise costs substantially, especially in older Boston homes).

Energy Efficiency and Your Boston Gas Furnace
With those kinds of project costs, it's a smart homeowner who makes energy efficiency a priority when it comes to purchasing a new furnace. The first thing Bostonians should look at when shopping for an energy-efficient furnace is the AFUE rating. Every gas furnace is assigned an AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating, which indicates the percentage of fuel that the unit utilizes to heat your home. A gas furnace in Boston with an AFUE rating of 78 percent (the lowest allowed by law), for example, converts 78 percent of the fuel supplied to it into heat for your home, while the other 22 percent is mostly vented out through the chimney with the exhaust. A furnace with a 97 percent AFUE rating (the highest rating you can presently purchase) wastes a mere 3 percent of the natural gas as unused fuel. In terms of dollars and cents, replacing a 20-year-old furnace with an ENERGY STAR-rated model that has an AFUE rating of 90 percent or better can cut energy costs associated with your furnace by as much as 50 percent.

Other Factors That Influence the Energy Efficiency of Your Boston Gas Furnace
While purchasing an energy-efficient furnace should be a high priority, especially in Boston where furnaces run around the clock for a good chunk of the year, high AFUE ratings aren't the only thing affecting the energy efficiency of your furnace. Purchasing a properly sized unit, ensuring that ductwork is properly installed, sealed, and insulated, and making sure the furnace is properly installed and fine tuned for your home are all of equal importance when it comes to reducing energy costs. Also, added features such as variable speed blowers, variable heat output, electronic ignition, dual heat filtration, and dual heat exchangers can all add to the efficiency of system, and contribute to a more comfortable indoor environment in the form of more consistent indoor temperatures and quieter homes.

Hiring a Quality Contractor is Key
Maybe the most important thing homeowners need to realize about installing a new furnace in Boston is that the benefits you'll reap from your new furnace are only going to be as good as the contractor you hire to install it. High efficiency ratings can only be achieved through a combination of energy-efficient furnaces, proper sizing, proper installation, and the evaluation and upgrading (where necessary) of the ductwork in your home. That means that it's vital you hire a contractor who knows what they're doing to help you select and install your new furnace. Cutting corners on a furnace installation will likely end up negating the energy savings you're looking for. Hiring an expert in furnace installation, however, ensures that you'll enjoy lower monthly utility bills, and a warmer, more comfortable home, every time.