Replacing an outdated or obsolete furnace or air conditioning unit is costly, make no mistake. When it’s time to outfit your home with new HVAC equipment, it can be tempting to explore the possibility of doing the installation yourself.
After all…how hard could it be? You just head to your nearest Home Depot or Lowe’s, shop for the right unit, watch a few YouTube videos, and you’re golden.
Right?
Not exactly.
The reality is that any air conditioner or furnace installation should be conducted by professionals who have been trained and who know what precautions to take to ensure a seamless, safe, and successful outcome.
We realize that we may be biased in saying this, because after all, we’re an HVAC contractor.
However, when you consider the kind of complexity that is involved in the removal of the old unit (including its environmentally friendly disposal), transportation, preparation, and installation of the new unit, and final system testing, there’s a lot that could go wrong if you try to do it yourself.
Let’s consider some specific examples.
How Bad Could This Go?
Let’s presume that you needed a new furnace for your single-family home. One of the first things you might do is look at the old furnace to determine what the BTU rating is so that you can shop for an equally powerful replacement.
But, how do you know which one to choose? Aren’t some brands more reliable and efficient than others? What about gas versus electric? Are all furnace configurations the same? How will you know if your ducting system will even work with the furnaces on sale at the hardware store?
As you can see, the problems can start before you even pull out your wallet to buy the furnace. Unless you know your way around the mechanical structure of a furnace as well as its internal construction, it’s possible that you’ll wind up buying a furnace that won’t even suit your needs.
“Hey Carl! Lend Me a Hand?”
Assuming you’re able to find a properly sized furnace that is compatible with your home, the next step is going to be the removal of the old furnace.
Will you know where to start? What about disconnecting the gas supply safely? Once the furnace has been physically unbolted from its location, how will you manage to lift and remove it? Will getting your buddy down the street to help you be enough?
Here again, there are many ways this could go wrong. If you don’t know how to safely remove the old furnace without damaging walls, floors, or fixtures, you could end up doing more harm than good.
If Things Go South, You’re Out of Luck
Remember that a do-it-yourself furnace or air conditioning installation isn’t going to have an installation warranty supporting it. So, if you miss something important during the installation process, or if you find yourself at a dead-end not knowing how to deal with an unforeseen issue, you’re not going to have many options available to you.
Sure, you could try contacting the manufacturer of your new furnace, but unless you’re an expertly trained HVAC professional, it’s likely you’ll find yourself frustrated and confused.
Not only that, but your furnace won’t be working, and you’ll have to figure out a way to dig yourself out of an ever-growing financial hole.
It Might Be Fine Today…What about Tomorrow?
Even if the stars aligned for you and you were able to complete a do-it-yourself furnace or air conditioning system installation on your own, how are you going to deal with the possible malfunctions that might happen down the road?
Because there was no guarantee of service quality for the installation, something could have been missed…something that may not become a problem until six months or a year later.
What then?
Sadly, you’ll be forced to cough up the money required to have the professionals come out and fix the problem you unknowingly created.
Don’t Chance it—Call Front Range HVAC
As you can see, there’s a lot of potential havoc that a DIY HVAC installation can wreak. Even if you save a few bucks by doing the installation yourself, you’re not going to have the peace of mind that comes with having a professional HVAC system installer do the job.
Front Range HVAC specializes in replacing furnaces, air conditioners, and boilers safely, quickly, and affordably.
As attractive as it may be to try installing this equipment on your own, this is one of those tasks that is best left to the experts. To talk with us about your installation, call us at (303) 857-5605.
