So, we moved into our house in February of 2011 and couldn't wait to start working on something of our own. We had saved up a small amount and with a little tax return, we thought we'd do something fun to the house. There is, after all, a lot to do.
February gets pretty chilly in Utah and our little house was not ready for it. We knew we would want to get a new furnace but we had no idea how quickly we would need to. So, just for a reference, in our last apartment, our heating bill was around 80 bucks mid-winter. Since we were in a new place and didn't know what all of our expenses would be, we kept the thermostat at 60 thinking it would keep our bill pretty low until we got settled. Well, we got our first bill and it was almost $300. That rusty old furnace had to go.
We had so many contractors over the next week or so bidding out the job.
It turned out that the furnace was the first gas model Lennox made. It
was installed around 1954 and was about 2% efficient. It was a beast.
The unit itself measured about 4' square with 12" ducts coming directly
out of the top. The best word used to describe it was "octopus."
The
company we finally decided on was recommended by a friend. He offered the best price and promised to have it done within a week. He also knocked $1000 off our bill since I did the demo myself.
So, after a month of freezing to death and a couple of days of work, our house is nice and toasty... and a little more efficient. Like 96% more.
If you are thinking about getting a new furnace or having some new duct work done, have someone else do it. At least the hard stuff. And if you live in a cold climate, have a humidifier installed with your furnace. You'll be glad you did.
