Furnace Installation & Replacement in Norristown, PA
Furnace replacement in Norristown's older housing involves more than swapping the appliance. The venting, the chimney, the gas line and the return air path were all sized around whatever was installed decades ago, and a modern furnace has different requirements from the one it replaces.
Getting those details right is the difference between an installation that runs reliably for twenty years and one that generates service calls. Our office is on DeKalb Street and estimates are free.
High-efficiency changes the venting
A condensing furnace does not vent into a chimney. It vents through PVC out a side wall, and it produces acidic condensate that needs a drain. Both of those are real considerations in a rowhome or twin — the vent has to terminate somewhere acceptable, at the right clearance from windows and property lines, and the condensate needs somewhere to go.
Where those requirements cannot be met practically, a standard-efficiency furnace venting into a properly lined chimney is a perfectly sound choice. We will tell you which applies to your building rather than assuming high-efficiency is automatically the right answer.
The orphaned water heater problem
This one is routinely missed. When a chimney-vented furnace is replaced with a side-wall-vented condensing unit, the water heater is often left venting into that chimney alone. A flue sized for a furnace and a water heater together is badly oversized for the water heater by itself, which can prevent proper draft and cause combustion gases to spill.
It is a safety issue and it needs to be addressed as part of the furnace job — usually by relining the chimney to the correct size for the remaining appliance. We include this in the assessment.
What we include
- ✓Load calculation rather than matching the old unit's capacity
- ✓Venting, chimney and combustion air assessment, including orphaned appliances
- ✓Return air and duct evaluation
- ✓Removal and disposal of the old equipment
- ✓Options at more than one efficiency level with the trade-offs explained
Norristown Furnace Installation — Questions We Get
Is a high-efficiency furnace always the better choice?
Not always. A condensing furnace vents through PVC out a side wall and produces acidic condensate that needs a drain. Where those cannot be accommodated practically in a rowhome or twin, a standard-efficiency furnace venting into a correctly lined chimney is a sound choice. We will tell you which fits your building.
What happens to my water heater if I switch to high-efficiency heat?
This is the detail most often missed. If your water heater was sharing a chimney with the old furnace, it will be left venting into a flue that is now badly oversized for it alone, which can prevent proper draft and cause combustion gases to spill. It is a safety issue and we address it as part of the job, usually by relining the chimney.
Do you size the new furnace to match the old one?
No. We run a load calculation, because the existing unit may well have been oversized. Matching it would carry the same mistake forward.
Do you take the old furnace away?
Yes, removal and disposal of the old equipment is included.
How much does a furnace replacement cost?
It depends on capacity, efficiency level and what the venting and duct work require. Estimates are free and we give you a clear scope so you can compare quotes on the same basis.
Who serves Norristown
Norristown calls are handled out of our Norristown office at 204 DeKalb St, Norristown, PA 19401. Call (610) 672-3056 — we answer 24 hours a day.