For the confident do-it-yourselfer, no household job may seem to be off limits. After all, if you’re handy with tools and can read directions, what could go wrong? When it comes to furnace installation, the answer is "plenty."

How ready is your aging furnace for wintry conditions? Replacing your furnace with a premium model offers improved home comfort and lower energy bills.

Your forced-air system is powered by a furnace that delivers heated air to every room through a network of ducts. Ducted forced-air systems are the most common type of central heating, but do you really know how they work?

If your outdated heating system barely made it through last winter, it may be time to think about buying a furnace replacement. A new furnace will provide more consistent heating with lower monthly energy bills, but how do you choose the best furnace for your home? 

At this time of year, many homeowners get out their fall maintenance checklists and get their homes ready for cooler weather. A furnace system tune-up should be at the top of the list.

Unwittingly, you entered a contest you weren’t sure you could win: Nursing your furnace through another heating season, probably with a few repairs along the way. Your prize? A new furnace, probably at a discounted price.

If your furnace is nearing retirement age, who could blame you for breaking out in a mild sweat? A furnace replacement project requires careful consideration and time—not to mention a significant monetary investment.

A red-tagged furnace may occur if an inspector determines that your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger. While the inspector may not actually put a red tag on the furnace, if he tells you that you have a red-tagged furnace, there are some serious choices looming. And an expert HVAC technician who can properly advise you on what to do should guide these choices.

Time can be an enemy to just about everything. When it comes to a furnace, both time and use can create major problems. An old furnace can cause winter problems that range from being noisy and breaking down at the worst possible time, to using far too much fuel.

High efficiency furnaces have become increasingly popular over the last several years. In response to steadily rising energy costs and increasing concern for the environment, many homeowners are upgrading their old furnaces to more energy-efficient models. It can be a smart move to consider, particularly if you have a furnace that is more than ten years old.