Furnace Installation & Replacement Services in Virginia
Keep your home warm and cozy this winter with Snell Heating & Air Conditioning! Our team of expert heating contractors is knowledgeable in both gas and electric furnace installation and replacement. With HVAC services offered in Virginia, we’ll be there when you need us most. With our unique 24/7 furnace installation services, you get the same low rate 24hrs, 7 days/week, meaning you can trust us with your emergency home heating needs.
Gas Or Electric: Which is best for you?
When it comes to choosing between a gas or electric furnace replacement, there are a few key things to consider:
- Installation costs vary between gas and electric furnaces. Electric furnaces are less expensive to purchase and install.
- While upfront costs can be more for a gas furnace, electric furnaces come with a higher monthly energy bill. The cost of electricity is much higher than natural gas in most areas and should be considered in your decision-making process.
Deciding which furnace type is the best fit for your home can be tricky. Our team of heating contractors can help! At Snell Heating & Air Conditioning, our professionally trained team offers reliable electric and gas furnace installation services for all types of systems.
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What to Look For in a New Furnace
In need of a new furnace? With many options on the market, it can be hard to choose. Find the best fit for your home with the tips below:
- Efficiency Rating: Look for a furnace with a high energy efficiency rating. Systems with higher ratings will provide a lower operating cost
- Two-Stage or Single-Stage: Two-stage furnaces are recommended because they only exert the amount of energy needed to heat your home and prevent large temperature swings
- Variable-Speed or Single-Speed: Our heating contractors recommend performing a variable-speed furnace installation since they are more efficient and provide more even heat throughout your home.
- Zoned vs Not Zoned: Zoned systems allow you more control of both the temperature in your home and your home’s energy use.
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) Ratings
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings are utilized to determine the efficiency of a gas furnace. The AFUE ratings of the latest energy-efficient furnaces will range from 80% to 97%. Manufacturers are no longer allowed to produce gas furnaces with an AFUE rating that is below 80%. A furnace with a high AFUE score is more efficient when compared to a system with a low AFUE rating.
An excellent way to save money on a new furnace is to purchase a single-stage system with an 80% AFUE rating. Although a single-stage furnace may have a lower upfront cost, it will cost more to operate during the winter season. To avoid high monthly gas bills, we recommend performing a condensing furnace installation for a system with an AFUE rating of 90% or higher. Our team of technicians offers fast and reliable furnace replacement services in areas such as Alexandria, Centreville, Arlington, and Reston. Condensing furnaces are designed to compress condensation that is produced during the combustion cycle into a liquid. Once the moisture is transformed into a liquid, a large quantity of energy is conserved and recycled.
Furnace Configuration Options
Upflow Furnaces
Cold air in your house enters an upflow furnace at the bottom. Once the air is warm, it is distributed to the supply air ducts from the top of the furnace. On other types of upflow systems, the return air duct is located on either the left or right side of the blower motor. An upflow furnace is engineered to accommodate air ducts that are above the installation location. We offer upflow furnace installation and replacement services to households in areas of Virginia such as Centreville, Leesburg, Arlington, Reston, and Alexandria.
Horizontal Furnaces
If you have a limited amount of space to install your new gas or electric furnace, we recommend purchasing a heating system that is designed to be configured horizontally. Horizontal furnaces feature a return air duct on one side and a supply duct on the other side. This type of furnace is typically installed in attics and tight supply closets.
Downflow Furnaces
A downflow furnace is designed to be installed in areas such as attics and crawl spaces. Cold air enters this type of furnace from the top. Once the temperature of the air is satisfactory, warm air exists near the bottom of the furnace. Downflow furnaces are equipped to circulate air to ductwork that is configured below the furnace. Our team of licensed HVAC technicians provides trusted furnace replacement and installation services in Alexandria and other areas of Virginia. Give us a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to receive assistance with a heating problem.
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Short Furnaces
Short furnaces feature both supplies and return air ducts near the top of the system. Short furnaces are also referred to as low-body furnaces by certified technicians in the HVAC industry. Short or low-body furnaces are slowly being phased out by other types of furnaces. Depending on the configuration of your ductwork, a low-boy furnace may be replaced with a downflow, upflow, or horizontal furnace.
Chimney Venting & Direct Venting Furnace Installation Options
A standard gas furnace with an 80% AFUE rating relies on a chimney to flush toxic chemicals from the previous combustion cycle. This type of furnace utilizes a chamber connection to vent harmful gases and collect cold air. On the other hand, a furnace with a 90% AFUE rating or higher is equipped with blower motors that are designed to flush natural gases and extract cold air. Furnaces with blower motors are referred to as direct-vented furnaces by certified technicians in the industry. Energy-efficient furnaces are equipped with smaller venting components when compared to conventional heating systems.
Types of Furnaces
Multi-Speed Furnaces
An advantage of investing in a furnace replacement is improving the comfort of your living space with a multi-speed system. Our team will help you choose a new furnace with a correct capacity for your home. Multi-speed furnaces are equipped with a blower that is able to be set at a variety of speeds. Once a multi-speed furnace is installed, the speed of the blower can be adjusted to low, medium, and high speeds to meet your requirements. You may decide to set the blower at a high speed throughout the heating cycle and a slow speed during an air conditioning cycle.
After you set the maximum and minimum speeds for your furnace or air conditioner, the blower will operate at these speeds until you change them. A multi-speed blower is not designed to respond to variations in conditions. We offer safe and efficient multi-speed furnace installation and replacement services in Reston, Arlington, Centreville, and other surrounding areas in Virginia. Give our team of certified HVAC contractors and plumbers a call by phone at (703) 543-9649 to receive support with a multi-speed furnace.
Variable-Speed Furnaces
Variable-speed furnaces make it easy for homeowners to adjust various operating circumstances to enhance airflow. Once a variable-speed blower is configured, it will inspect the temperatures and airflow levels in your household and change the operating capacity of the blower to maintain a comfortable temperature and optimal operational circumstances. We offer trustworthy variable-speed furnace installation and replacement services in Arlington and other areas of Virginia.
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Single-Speed Furnaces
Single-speed furnaces are designed to operate at full capacity during the winter months. This type of furnace is not able to reduce its operational speeds to accommodate the temperature and airflow of your house. A single-speed furnace will activate when the temperature in your household falls below the set temperature on your programmable thermostat. Once the interior temperature is sufficient, the furnace will deactivate.
This type of furnace is not as efficient as variable-speed and multi-speed furnaces because it is not able to operate at lower capacities. On the other hand, single-stage furnaces are an excellent solution for individuals with a limited budget due to the low upfront price. We offer single-speed furnace replacement and installation services in Centreville and the surrounding areas of Virginia.
Stay Warm All Season Long!
At Snell Heating & Air Conditioning, your comfort is important to us. Our heating contractors know investing in an electric or gas furnace installation and replacement project is a big decision. We are here to provide you with all you need to make the best choice for your home.
Ready for a new furnace? Find out how you can receive our Lifetime Unit Replacement Guarantee!
When choosing a new furnace system, be sure to ask about our Lifetime Unit Replacement Guarantee*!
Updates to the Regional HVAC Equipment Efficiency and Testing Standards
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Call us at (703) 543-9649 for fast, reliable emergency furnace installation or replacement services. Our team of local HVAC technicians will help you find a variable-speed furnace for your house.