This is part 4 in a series of blog posts about home inspections. In previous posts, I discussed the importance of the electrical, the basement and the roof and attic.
After the winter we just had, you are going to want to ensure that the house you buy has a furnace in good working order and preferably one that’s not too old!
The Furnace
Furnaces and their heating systems come in all shapes and sizes.
- forced air gas
- forced air oil
- boilers connected to radiators
- electric baseboard heating
- in floor heating
By far, the most popular choice is the forced air system that uses natural gas. My personal favourite is the boiler connected to radiators as the heated air is not as dry as a forced air system.
Typically a forced air gas system has a life expectancy of 15 years. And I have seen many much older than that. And certainly, the furnace’s shelf life can be extended with regular and proper maintenance.
All furnaces have serial numbers. So during your home inspection, make sure your home inspector has his book which will give him the serial number and date your furnace was built! This is really important information and your insurance company is going to want to know about it as well.
Now if the furnace is ancient and needs replacing, the federal and provincial governements offer great rebates to replace clunkers with new hi-efficient models.
I moved in Novemeber 2007 and not only was the furnace a relic but it was the wrong size for the house! My home inspector Dave advised me that I really needed something smaller. It was the first thing we did when we moved in.
You will have to have an energy audit first in order to qualify for the rebates and its a bit of a process. In the end, I saved about $1,000 on a new furnace. Plus a hi-efficiency model will pay for itself within 3 years!
Final instalment – coming on Friday – TERMITES!
Interesting blog, I’ll try and spread the word.
By: wonker on March 19, 2009
at 8:57 am