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Winter Is Furnace Break-Down Season: Is It Time to Upgrade?

man covered in blankets

Canadian winters are always memorable. But this particular winter is shaping up to be one for the record books.

Here at Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating & Electric, we don’t have to check the weather report to know this, however. We can tell just by answering our phones and listening to the tales of grumpy furnaces conking out!

It is no secret that December is a prime month for furnace outages. This is why this year, we decided to team up with Financeit to offer 90 days of no payments AND no interest on all financed purchases through year-end.

If your furnace is working great, you can also use this special financing offer on anything else we offer.

Now, read on to learn about other money-saving perks of upgrading your furnace!

Save $215 Up Front Just By Replacing Your Furnace

The EnergyStar program advises replacing any furnace that has reached the ripe old age of 15.

This is because new furnaces are made to run more efficiently than even the best-maintained old furnace ever could. In fact, you reap a 15 percent boost in heating efficiency from the get-go just by powering on your new furnace!

According to the latest home energy survey in Ontario, the average homeowner pays around $2,358 per year on energy, with about 61 percent of that, or $1,438, going just to heat the home.

With this 15 percent improvement in energy efficiency, you reap an average savings of $215 in home heating costs right off the bat.

Save $150 By Skipping Your Annual Furnace Tune-Up

When you decide to upgrade your furnace, you can also automatically add another $150 or so back into your wallet right away.

With a brand-new furnace that has been properly installed, you don’t have to schedule your normal winter furnace tune-up, an average cost savings of $150.

Your new furnace won’t need its first inspection and maintenance check-up for another 12 months.

Save $430 By Sealing Up Your Ducts

Can you think back to the last time you gave your home ductwork a good once-over? If this question draws a blank, you are not alone. Ducts don’t usually get much (if any) attention – after all, who wants to spend their weekends crawling around in the attic staring at their ductwork?

Unfortunately, neglect doesn’t do your furnace or energy bills any favors. The EnergyStar program estimates that leaking ducts may let out 30 percent of your warmed air before it ever reaches the rooms inside your home.

In terms of energy efficiency, you are losing not only the $215 you just saved by installing your new furnace but also an additional $215 – a total loss of $430 per year simply due to leaking ducts!

Luckily, this is a fairly easy fix. If you have the inclination and ease of access, you can make it a weekend do-it-yourself project, resealing ducts at the major connection points, patching any visible holes along the duct canals and insulating your ducts against energy loss.

Otherwise, your Gravenhurst service technician can take care of this service for you during your annual furnace maintenance or at the time you replace your furnace.

Save $300 by Sealing and Weather-Stripping Your Home

With the advent of today’s new airtight construction standards, new-construction homes rarely have any air leaks.

But rewind five or 10 years or more and homes become much more prone to air leaks all year long. This is partly because homes in past decades were built to permit some level of natural ventilation. It is also partly because older homes have wear and tear that lets air out whether you want it to or not.

For example, take the seals around your windows and doors. When those seals were first placed, they were probably airtight. But over time, the seals began to degrade. Now you may even be able to feel the temperature outside just by walking by drafty windows and doors.

Sealing up windows, doors and systemic small cracks around your home can easily net you another 20 percent improvement in overall whole-home energy efficiency. It is like trimming your heating bill by another 20 percent, or a potential savings of around $300.

You Just Saved $1,095 By Upgrading Your Furnace!

It is true - upgrading to a new furnace represents an investment. But it is an investment that pays for itself in multiple ways and on multiple levels.

You can save $1,000-plus just by following the tips in this post, starting the moment you power on your furnace for the first time and continuing for each year you own it.

You can also save by avoiding paying out for the types of major repairs older furnace systems tend to require.

Many customers report their homeowners insurance premiums are reduced when they upgrade to a new furnace that has been properly installed. This is because home heating equipment is the leading cause of winter home fires and a new furnace lowers that risk substantially.

As well, you can expect to see an increase in your home’s resale value once you have upgraded your furnace and ductwork. This is because the majority of new-home buyers today (especially millennials) are looking for turnkey purchases – they don’t want to spend any time or money on fixer-upper projects or major appliance upgrades.

Get 90 Days of No Payments & No Interest By Upgrading Your Furnace

Our Financeit deal lasts only through December 31, 2019. Get all of these benefits PLUS 90 DAYS OF NO PAYMENTS AND NO INTEREST when you purchase your new furnace or anything else we offer!

Get in Touch

Contact us online or give us a call at 1-877-885-3403.

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