The cost to install a furnace in Atlanta, Georgia can vary, influenced by several factors. These may include the type of furnace selected, with gas and electric options presenting different cost structures. Additionally, the size of the furnace required for a specific space, the desired AFUE rating, the chosen brand, and the preferred warranty coverage can all contribute to the fluctuation in costs.
To gain a more precise understanding of the potential expenses, consider addressing the following 7 questions:
Let’s take a closer look at each of these questions.
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Bottom line: Electric furnaces are cheaper to install than gas furnaces but gas furnaces usually cost less to operate.
If you have an all-electric house (no gas lines), the choice is made for you: you’re getting an electric furnace. And when it comes to up-front costs, that’s good news for you since electric furnaces are generally cheaper to install than gas furnaces.
But if you have natural gas available in your home, you need to decide whether you want an electric or a gas furnace.
So, what’s the difference? Well, there are quite a few. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of gas and electric furnaces:
Electric furnace pros:
Electric furnace cons:
Gas furnace pros:
Gas furnace cons:
Bottom line: The larger the furnace size, the more expensive it costs.
Furnaces are sized in BTU’s (British Thermal Units). It’s basically a measurement of how much heat a furnace can provide in a given time.
But here’s the thing: furnace sizes are like shoe sizes. You can’t arbitrarily pick whatever shoe size you want, you get the size that fits your foot. Otherwise, it’s uncomfortable and a waste of your money, right?
The same goes for your furnace. The size your home needs is the size it needs. It’s not a good idea to go up an extra size to make your home warmer faster or to go down a size to save money. Not getting the right furnace size will cost you a lot more money further on down the road.
So how do you know what size furnace your home needs?
Well, you’ll need a professional to perform what’s called a manual J load calculation. During this in-home calculation, they’ll take into account your home’s:
And with all this information, they’ll be able to calculate the specific furnace size you need. Usually, this calculation is performed by the heating contractor you hire to install the furnace.
For an in-depth explanation of furnace sizing, check out our article, “What Size/BTU Furnace Do I Need for My Atlanta Home?”.
Bottom line: For gas furnaces, the higher the AFUE rating, the more expensive the unit (electric furnaces all have AFUE ratings of 100%), BUT higher ratings mean more long-term savings.
Every furnace has an AFUE rating (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). That rating tells you how efficient the furnace is. All electric furnaces have a rating of 100% but gas furnaces can be anywhere from 80% to 98%.
That percentage just tells you how much of the fuel your furnace consumes is actually converted to heat.
Here’s an example of how this works: Let’s say you have a gas furnace with an AFUE rating of 80%. That means that for every dollar you pay for natural gas, $.80 of that goes toward actual heat energy that keeps your home warm. The other $.20? Well, that was wasted because it escaped up your furnace flue in the heating process.
So, the higher the AFUE rating of your furnace, the more you save every month on your heating bills.
Related: Why You (And Your Wallet) Should Care About Your Furnace’s AFUE
The bottom line: Bigger, more reputable brands are more expensive than smaller, lesser-known brands.
Like anything, bigger furnace brands are typically going to cost more but they come with a product you know you can trust. Some of these “bigger” brands include Lennox, Trane or Carrier.
It really just comes down to doing some research and making sure that you choose a brand you can trust and offers a solid warranty.
Bottom line: The longer the warranty and more coverage it offers, the more expensive it will be, raising the overall cost of your furnace installation.
Typically, furnaces have two warranty coverage areas:
Manufacturers warranties are usually offered with the unit itself and include the parts warranty and the heat exchanger warranty. Extended warranties are purchased by the consumer and cover costs such as labor and/or “extending” the manufacturer’s parts warranty. The longer the warranty coverage (1 year vs. 5 years), the more you can expect to pay upfront.
The bottom line: Higher quality contractors usually have higher prices. Beware of contractors who offer very low prices.
The bulk of the price you pay for a furnace installation will be the labor. But you don’t want to skimp when it comes to paying your contractor.
We suggest you get estimates of the installation cost from several contractors. And don’t just go with the lowest price. Do your research. Is the contractor experienced? Licensed? Reputable?
The bottom line: The following advanced furnace features increase comfort but also increase the overall price of the furnace.
Some advanced furnace features include:
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