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You are here: Home / General Tips & Advice / Page 4

General Tips & Advice

COVID-19 Home Air Quality and Safety Guide

Mae · Nov 11, 2020 ·

Table of contents

  • Understanding COVID-19 and Aerosol Transmission
  • The Transmission of Viruses and Pathogens in Indoor Versus Outdoor Spaces
  • HVAC Types and Air Circulation
    • Boiler Systems
    • Ductless Systems
    • Forced Air Systems
  • Ventilation and Filtration are the Keys to Cleaner Air
  • Increasing Ventilation and Improving Air Quality
    • Furnace and Air Conditioner Filters
    • UV Lights for Furnaces and Air Conditioners
    • Whole-Home Ventilation Systems
    • HRVs and ERVs
    • Single-Room Filters and Purification Systems
    • Quick and Dirty Bonus Solution: Opening Windows
  • Humidity and Coronavirus
  • FAQs

COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March, 2020, and since then doctors, scientists, and researchers have been looking for ways to slow and prevent the spread of the virus.

Different areas of Canada have their own reopening strategies, but many are getting to the more advanced stages of reopening. As that’s happening, people are examining the link between air quality and coronavirus transmission.

It turns out that poor air quality, including lack of ventilation, lack of filtration, and low humidity levels, can in fact increase the transmission rate of pathogens like coronavirus. And that has a lot of Canadian homeowners and business owners asking questions about their indoor air quality, what they can do to improve it, and how they can keep themselves and their families safe inside.

This guide will examine coronavirus and the link to indoor air quality. It will look at the latest research about transmission, the safety of indoor versus outdoor spaces, the importance of ventilation and filtration, systems you can use to improve air quality in your home or commercial space, and common questions that Canadian homeowners are asking about COVID-19 and air quality.

Understanding COVID-19 and Aerosol Transmission

By now you’re probably pretty sick of hearing about the novel coronavirus (officially known as SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes, COVID-19. But as we learn more about the virus, it’s important to keep apprised of the latest findings.

Now that we’ve learned more about how to curb transmission and flatten the curve, people are starting to look at the virus more in-depth, including how it spreads inside homes, offices, and other residential and commercial spaces.

Coronavirus, along with some other viruses, spreads through aerosol particles and droplets that are emitted by an infected person who coughs, sneezes, speaks, or even just breathes. Droplets and aerosol particles can contaminate a surface or directly infect nearby people through their noses, mouths, and eyes.

This is why social distancing and masking can be so effective: social distancing helps keep you away from a nearby person’s droplets, and a mask can prevent respiratory droplets and aerosol particles from getting into the air and onto surfaces in the first place.

Current research suggests that aerosolized coronavirus can survive in the air for up to three hours, and this is where it’s important to understand the link between improving air quality in homes and commercial spaces and reducing transmission.

For surfaces like glass, plastic, cardboard, and wood, it seems that coronavirus can survive anywhere from one to 3.5 days. However experts are still unsure how readily the virus may actually infect others and spread via surfaces, or ‘fomites’ as they are called.

The Transmission of Viruses and Pathogens in Indoor Versus Outdoor Spaces

Most COVID-19 infections can be traced to indoor transmission, and they’ve generally taken place after prolonged exposure. Some studies suggest that the majority of cases are from household transmission, and other studies show that workplaces and public transportation can be the next most common transmission sites.

Recent experiments are showing that respiratory droplets can spread more than 2 meters through coughing, and up to 8 meters through sneezing. When you’re outside, you have sunlight, air currents, a constant supply of fresh air, and other elements to help disperse those droplets and kill the virus.

It’s important to note, however, that outdoor transmission can happen, so social distancing and preventative measures are still important, especially in crowded places.

With restrictions gradually lifting, schools and workplaces looking to open up again, and more and more Canadians slowly returning to normal life, what can be done indoors to protect people?

This guide will examine measures that will help keep you and your loved ones safe inside, especially during the fall and winter months as people are forced to return indoors for most activities.

HVAC Types and Air Circulation

As we mentioned, one of the reasons that being outside lowers your risk of contracting coronavirus is the wind and air currents. It’s much less likely that infected droplets will land on you or end up in your nose, mouth, or eyes if you’re outside where the air is always moving.

Inside, you don’t have natural breezes and a constant supply of fresh air to help protect you, but some HVAC systems are better than others at circulating air.

There are different HVAC types for heating and cooling. The most common for heating in Canada are forced air furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps. For cooling, the most popular ones are central air conditioning systems and ductless mini-splits. Let’s look at the different systems and how they perform.

Boiler Systems

Boilers are HVAC systems that circulate hot water through a closed system of pipes and radiators to heat your home. Because the system is closed and doesn’t involve forcing air through the house, boilers provide no air circulation.

Ductless Systems

Ductless mini-splits can provide cooling or heating and cooling. These systems have outdoor components matched with indoor air handlers, which blow heated or cooled air into different rooms or parts of your house. Because they use fans to blow hot or cold air, they also provide some circulation.

Forced Air Systems

Forced air systems include furnaces and central air conditioners that use fans and ductwork to circulate heated and cooled air throughout the entire house. These systems are usually equipped with filters that remove dust and other large particles from the air, and there are special filters you can install that will also trap and eliminate smaller particles and pathogens.

Ventilation and Filtration are the Keys to Cleaner Air

Circulation alone, however, isn’t enough to promote improved air quality. If the virus is already in the air, then you either have to get rid of it or overwhelm it with fresh air.

The same is true of pollutants, allergens, and other contaminants in the home. Ventilation and filtration, therefore, are far more important when it comes to improving air quality because they bring in fresh air and filter the air you breathe.

Ventilation of indoor spaces is a double-edged sword, because while removing indoor air and circulating fresh outdoor air may help reduce the spread of coronavirus, ventilation systems may also help distribute virus particles by circulating the contaminated air throughout a closed space.

More research still needs to be done regarding whether HVAC systems can spread coronavirus, but it looks like some of the first COVID-19 cases can be traced to a restaurant (PDF) where the air conditioning system circulated the air in such a way that some patrons got infected while others didn’t.

It appears that HVAC systems do have the potential to trap and distribute pathogens around the house, and that also applies to restaurants, offices, schools, and other commercial buildings you might visit.

It seems clear from that particular story that air conditioning won’t kill the virus, but what about furnaces—can they kill viruses?

There isn’t a lot of research or evidence that your furnace could kill pathogens in your home unless they’re equipped with special filters or purifiers. The same is true of commercial HVAC systems.

The issue is that your furnace simply does not heat the air to a high enough temperature to reliably kill the coronavirus, although some companies are developing special use furnaces or add-ons that they claim will be effective in killing the virus. These are currently being tested, and there is no word on when they will be widely available to consumers.

The good news is there are several ways you can increase ventilation and filter or purify the air in your home. Many of the same devices and tips will also work in commercial settings, in case you’re being careful of the places you visit, or are a business owner trying to make your commercial space safer for your employees and customers.

Increasing Ventilation and Improving Air Quality

As we mentioned, ventilation and filtration are vital when it comes to improving the air quality in your home. Unfortunately, it’s not common for homes to come with great ventilation systems. Similarly, air conditioners, furnaces, and standard HVAC filters aren’t enough to kill or eliminate pathogens like coronavirus from your home.

But there are a variety of devices and systems on the market you can install to increase ventilation and filter air, and this can help to eliminate viruses, bacteria, allergens, and other contaminants.

Those systems include:

  • Special furnace and air conditioner filters
  • UV lights
  • Air Purifiers
  • Whole-home ventilation systems
  • HRVs and ERVs
  • Single-room filters and purifications systems

These devices are designed to ventilate your home or purify the air, but there’s no guarantee that they will kill, eliminate, or protect you from COVID-19 or other pathogens. Furthermore, claims about the effectiveness of any product should never be taken as a guarantee.

For any specific residential or commercial HVAC product you’re looking at, always refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for that device’s capabilities and effectiveness.

Furnace and Air Conditioner Filters

Every furnace and air conditioner comes equipped with a filter, but most of them are pretty basic and not effective at trapping or eliminating viruses. There are, however, special filters you can buy for your HVAC system that will help purify the air as it circulates through the system.

One of the most popular is the HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter, which can filter particles as small as 0.3 microns. It’s worth noting that while these filters can be very effective against a wide array of pathogens, the coronavirus is smaller than 0.3 microns, so it’s possible that a small percentage of the virus will slip through even these high-quality filters.

UV Lights for Furnaces and Air Conditioners

Another purification option is a UV light that can be installed on your furnace or air conditioning system. UV light is particularly effective at killing viruses, bacteria, fungus, and other nasty things you don’t want floating around in the air. 

Make sure it’s a UVC light specifically, because this is the most effective germicidal wavelength of UV. There are stand-alone UVC lamps on the market, but you need to be careful with these because certain wavelengths of UVC can be very dangerous and cause skin cancer and eye damage.

Whole-Home Ventilation Systems

There are several different types of whole-home ventilation systems, including exhaust, supply, and balanced systems.

  • Exhaust systems use fans and vents—like you probably already have in your bathroom and above your stove—to draw air out of the house, but they aren’t that effective when it comes to improved air quality.
  • Supply systems bring in fresh air so that older air gets forced out. These systems bring in fewer pollutants from outside, but like exhaust systems, they don’t allow for any humidity control.
  • Balanced systems bring together the best of exhaust and supply systems because they remove older air from the home while also bringing in fresh outdoor air. However, these systems also don’t allow for humidity control, they can be expensive to install, and they can increase energy bills.

HRVs and ERVs

Heat recovery ventilator and energy recovery ventilators are superior types of whole-home ventilation systems, and they’re extremely popular among homeowners who are concerned about energy efficiency, air quality, and cost savings.

A heat recovery ventilator does everything that a balanced system does and more: it removes stale air from your home, it brings in fresh outdoor air, and it also recovers heat from the air leaving the home to warm the air coming in.

The result? Cleaner air, better ventilation, and no increase in heating and cooling bills. In fact, HRVs are also used to maintain the temperature of your home in summer, so they can reduce the demands on your air conditioner.

Energy recovery ventilators do the same thing as HRVs, but they’re also capable of trapping moisture from the outgoing air and recycling it with the fresh air coming in. This prevents warm humid air from getting into your home in summer, and keeps the air nice and moist during cold, dry winters.

Single-Room Filters and Purification Systems

If you don’t want to go the whole-home route, there are also stand-alone filters and air purifiers that are more budget-friendly. These can be good for smaller families if you’re often using one room at a time, as these systems are usually small and portable, so you can take them to different rooms as you go about your daily routine.

And once again, it’s worth noting that these systems may not be particularly effective at actually killing viruses like the novel coronavirus or reducing the chances of transmission.

Quick and Dirty Bonus Solution: Opening Windows

Whole-home ventilation is a great concept, and special filters for your HVAC system are ideal, but what happens when you want to make your home environment safer and there’s just no room in the budget for an HVAC upgrade? Good old-fashioned window opening, that’s what.

As long as the weather is cooperating and the temperature is mild enough, you can always just open windows and doors to increase ventilation in your home and bring in the fresh air that can help disperse some coronavirus droplets that might be lingering in the air.

Humidity and Coronavirus

Keeping your home at the right humidity level is important for a number of reasons. For one thing, air that is sufficiently moist can reduce skin irritation and dryness, prevent sore throats, and reduce static.

However, air that’s too moist can lead to moisture damage, mold, and other problems. According to Health Canada, the ideal humidity for a home is between 30 and 55 percent.

When it comes to COVID-19, some recent research has demonstrated that the ideal humidity level is between 50 and 60 percent, because this is the range where scientists saw the lowest levels of transmission of the virus. Conversely, viruses have been shown to be more transmissible in cool, dry air, which can make transmission more likely during the winter months.

Although new information is always coming to light about coronavirus, the current research and the recommendations from Health Canada would suggest that an indoor humidity level around 50 percent would be ideal for health, air quality, and reducing infection rates.

So how do you make sure your home, office, or business is at the right humidity level? For starters, you can use a hygrometer to check the current humidity levels.

A hygrometer is an affordable hand-held device that you can buy online or from a hardware store. If your humidity levels aren’t in the recommended range, you can install a whole-home humidification system that will monitor and control humidity throughout your home.

Whole-home systems do require ductwork, and they can also be pricey. If you don’t have ductwork or are looking for a more budget-friendly option, there are also portable humidifiers and dehumidifiers that will control humidity in smaller areas of your home.

There’s also another option: if it’s time to buy a new furnace or air conditioner, consider looking at ones that have built-in humidity control.

FAQs

Can increased airflow make my home, office, or workplace safer?

Increased circulation alone is not enough to make any indoor space safer. To help eliminate viruses and other pathogens from the air, increased ventilation, filtration, and ideally both combined is required.

Is there an easy way I can gauge if the air in a home or commercial space is safe?

You can’t necessarily tell just by your senses whether the air in a space is safe. But you can get an idea of whether there is decent ventilation and airflow: if the air feels close, stuffy, and stale, then there’s a good chance there isn’t sufficient ventilation and airflow.

Home Furnace Fuel Type Price Comparison

Furnace Prices · Nov 14, 2019 ·


Table of contents

  • Natural Gas Furnaces
  • Propane Furnaces
  • Electric Furnaces
  • Oil Furnaces
  • Other Furnace Types

Before you purchase a new home furnace for your house, it is highly suggested that you thoroughly research the type of furnace or HVAC system that would best be able to meet the needs of your household.

Check out our infographic examining heating systems and fuel types used in Canada.

Simple, high-efficiency single-stage home furnace prices range from around $2000 – $4000. Larger multi-stage furnaces suitable for average to large homes, with high BTU output and AFUE (efficiency) ratings of at least 95% typically start at $3000 and up.

Factors which determine prices include: furnace manufacturer or brand, model, BTU output, efficiency rating, and where you live. Furnace prices tend to be lower in major metropolitan areas such as Toronto and the GTA, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Ottawa, as there is more competition among heating and cooling companies.

Natural Gas Furnaces

No matter where you live just so long as you are able to access natural gas you can have a highly effective and well priced gas forced air furnace at your house at a reasonable price. This goes for both natural gas as well as furnaces that use propane gas.

Getting the correct size of furnace unit for your home is important since if it is too big you will end up having a gas furnace that will short cycle on and off leading to inadequate heating for your home. On the other hand one that is too small will run all the time while not properly heating the home thus wasting energy.

Home natural gas furnaces in Ontario and the rest of Canada usually cost between $2500 and $8000.

Propane Furnaces

Propane furnaces are popular in areas that don’t have access to natural gas pipeline infrastructure, namely, rural areas. Prices range from $2500 to $7500 on the high end, including conversion costs. They function similarly to gas furnaces and are comparable in cost. Propane is generally delivered and stored on your property in a large tank.

Electric Furnaces

Electric furnaces are more rarely found in urban homes as there are often higher running costs by way of electric bills. They may be used in places where winters are not harsh. The brand of electric furnace you decide to have installed in your house will have a major impact on the price. In the case of electric furnaces brand is the biggest determinant to price. The installation is slightly higher than that of a gas furnace as the higher the brand is the more one is likely to attract more costly HVACs who are more qualified.

The average electric furnace can cost anywhere from $2000 to more than $7000 including installation. Just like with the gas furnace you need to get the right size for your home in order to provide optimum heating efficiency and efficacy.

Oil Furnaces

Oil furnaces are also in use in various homes especially in those places where heating oil is more common than gas. These ones use forced hot air to spread out heat in the home and the average oil furnace will cost around $3000+ while the cost including installation could go up to $4000+.

Other Furnace Types

There are other furnace types such as wood-burning furnaces which tend to be more popular in the country. These can be cheaper for someone who owns lots of land and has access to plentiful firewood, but generally does not have the ease, convenience, and efficiency of natural gas and other modern furnaces. In Canada, new wood furnaces typically retail for between $1500 and $4500.

Home Furnace Fuel Type Price Comparison

Furnace & Air Conditioner Financing Options for Canadians

Furnace Prices · Nov 12, 2019 ·


Table of contents

  • Who to get financing from?
  • Financing Features & Benefits

Want a new furnace or air conditioning system but don’t have the money to pay thousands of dollars in upfront costs? Or maybe you simply prefer to spread the payments out over a period of months or years, giving you a manageable and predictable monthly amount to pay every month. Consider Furnace Financing

With flexible and affordable furnace and air conditioner financing you can upgrade or replace your heating and cooling system now and start enjoying the benefits of a new high-efficiency HVAC system right away, but pay for it later.

Start saving money on your gas or electricity bills immediately, which can even offset the cost of your new unit.

Or if your old furnace broke down, financing can help you avoid being stuck without heat in the middle of winter!

Plus, you may even have the option to not pay for up to 6 months, meaning you can get your new furnace or AC installed now and not have to make payments until months later.

Great for landlords & business owners too!

Furnace financing is also great for business owners and landlords who can build the predictable cost into their tenants’ lease or monthly business expenses.

Other products you can finance include:

  • central air conditioners
  • ductless heat pump/mini-split systems
  • combi-boilers
  • tankless hot water heaters
  • and even water softeners

Who to get financing from?

Most of our Certified Partners across Canada provide affordable consumer financing options to their customers. For more info, simply request a quote from our local partners in your area, and mention financing in the Additional Info box.

Unlike banks and traditional lenders, this type of direct financing is designed specifically to help with home and commercial heating & cooling needs. With extensive experience in the HVAC industry, our partnersare able to help you every step of the way, from choosing the right furnace or A/C model, selecting a payment plan that works for you, and handling the installation and servicing as well.

Get more information or a free estimate by visiting: Get a financing quote on a new heating & cooling system now!

Or check out our current deals page for special offers from our local HVAC contractor partners across Canada!

Financing Features & Benefits

  • Financing allows you to take as little as 12 months or as many as 15 years to pay it off (with dozens of options in between)
  • Flexible monthly rates to suit your budget
  • Up to 100% financing for all your home heating & cooling needs
  • Open Loan – Pay off the entire loan at any time without penalties
  • Personal and Confidential
  • Easy deductions from your bank account
  • Very competitive rates
  • High-efficiency ENERGY STAR® systems that qualify for government rebates (up to 98.5 % AFUE)
  • Top brands like Goodman, Amana, American Standard, Lennox, Carrier, Trane, Rheem, Napoleon, and more!
  • Save up to 40% or more on your energy bills & enjoy a more comfortable and environmentally-friendly home
Furnace & Air Conditioner Financing Options for Canadians

Furnace & Air Conditioner Brands – Who Owns Who

Furnace Prices · Nov 11, 2019 ·


Table of contents

  • Reasons manufacturers acquire other brands
  • Ownership Breakdown of Top HVAC Manufacturers
    • Johnson Controls owns/makes:[1]
    • Trane Technologies plc owns/makes:[2]
    • Carrier Global Corp. owns/makes:[3]
    • Daikin Global/Daikin Manufacturing Company, L.P. owns/makes:[5]
    • Lennox International owns/makes:[6]
    • Nortek Global HVAC owns/makes:[7]
    • Rheem Manufacturing Company owns/makes:[8]
    • Wolf Steel Ltd. owns/makes: [9][10]
  • Sources

A common question consumers often have is who makes a given brand of furnace or air conditioner. And many consumers may not realize that popular makes of heating and cooling equipment are owned by the same parent company.

In many cases, brands are acquired by larger multinational conglomerates and added to their portfolio.

Reasons manufacturers acquire other brands

  • Expanding their market reach by acquiring a brand that may be popular in a particular region or country, or achieving deeper market penetration
  • Targeting new market segments, like high-income consumers
  • Diversification, such as acquiring a company that makes a different but related type of product (e.g. furnace & A/C manufacturer acquiring a ductless mini-split manufacturer)
  • Acquiring technology or manufacturing capabilities, or achieving greater economies of scale and lowering costs
  • Overall growth, or other strategic goals and ‘synergies’

Sometimes these brands will be allowed to continue operating largely independently, or the parent company may take a more hands-on approach and seek to improve the manufacturing process, increase efficiency, eliminate redundancies, merge distribution channels or supply chains, or share technology and components.

Note that although two brands may be owned by the same parent company, this does not necessarily mean that the heating & air conditioning systems are the same. Some parts may be shared between them, and the units may even look similar, but certain core components may be different, the manufacturing process may be different, and warranties or other features may not be the same.

Similar to different car brands operating under a larger conglomerate, each brand may be designed to appeal to a specific target market or type of homeowner, with different features and price points.

Ownership Breakdown of Top HVAC Manufacturers

Now, on to the list of who makes or owns every major make and brand of furnace or air conditioner. Note that we’ve limited ourselves to the most common manufacturers sold in the Canadian market.

Here’s a breakdown of who owns or makes which furnace and air conditioner brands:

Johnson Controls owns/makes:[1]

  • York
  • Luxaire
  • Coleman

Trane Technologies plc owns/makes:[2]

  • American Standard
  • Trane

UPDATE: In 2020 Ingersoll Rand spun off its HVAC division, which it is renaming Trane Technologies plc

Carrier Global Corp. owns/makes:[3]

  • Carrier
  • Bryant
  • Payne
  • International Comfort Products, which owns/makes:[4]
    • ComfortMaker
    • Arcoaire
    • Heil
    • KeepRite
    • Tempstar

UPDATE: In 2020 U.T.C. underwent a merger with Raytheon Company, which involved spinning off its HVAC division into a new company called Carrier Global Corp.

Daikin Global/Daikin Manufacturing Company, L.P. owns/makes:[5]

  • Daikin
  • Goodman
  • Amana

Lennox International owns/makes:[6]

  • Lennox
  • Service Experts (Joint venture between: Lennox & Enercare)
  • ALLIED AIR ENTERPRISES, LLC, which owns/makes:[7]
    • Concord
    • Armstrong Air
    • Ducane
    • Aire-flo

Nortek Global HVAC owns/makes:[7]

  • Frigidaire
  • Maytag

Rheem Manufacturing Company owns/makes:[8]

  • Rheem
  • Ruud

Wolf Steel Ltd. owns/makes: [9][10]

  • Napoleon
  • Continental

It can be fascinating to see how well-known and sometimes seemingly competing brands are actually owned by the same organization, and how various mergers and acquisitions have shaped the HVAC industry.

That being said, you should not necessarily base your purchasing decision on this list. There can be a number of factors, including the reliability of the actual contractor or distributor, and the quality of the installation that can impact the performance and longevity of your heating & cooling system.

To get a quote from trusted local distributors in your area, check out our FREE Quote Page.

Has there been a major brand acquisition we’re not aware of or think something is inaccurate? Let us know!

Sources

  1. https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/buildings/our-brands
  2. https://www.warrantyweek.com/archive/ww20211202.html
  3. https://www.warrantyweek.com/archive/ww20211202.html
  4. https://www.icpusa.com/who.html
  5. https://www.amana-hac.com/about-us/amana-history
  6. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1069202/000119312512065358/d259633dex211.htm
  7. https://www.nortekhvac.com/
  8. https://www.rheem.com/about
  9. https://continentalheatingandcooling.com/about-us/
  10. https://ca.linkedin.com/company/wolf-steel-ltd
Who Makes Every Brand of Furnace and Air Conditioner

The TRUTH About Furnace (and A/C) Pricing

Furnace Prices · Nov 8, 2019 ·

Furnace Pricing are one of consumers’ top concerns when replacing their old furnace or A/C. We look at the real factors that affect what you’ll pay for your new heating & cooling system.


Table of contents

  • Variables Affecting Furnace Pricing of a New Furnace
    • “But what’s the REAL price of the unit?”
    • “How much are companies making on the installation?”
      • “How much of the quoted price are they pocketing just for installing the unit?”
      • HVAC contractors also need to cover the cost of future servicing covered by the labour warranty
    • Why looking for the absolute lowest price is not always the best course of action
      • Beware of really low furnace pricing…

One of the top things homeowners want to know when they’re in the market for a new furnace or air conditioner is “what’s it gonna cost?” (Heck, there’s a reason this site is called FurnacePrices.ca!)

A new furnace or A/C is a major purchase, and it’s not something the average person buys every day, so it’s not surprising the typical homeowner isn’t sure what to expect, especially with the volume of brands and models available.

And of course, everyone wants to make sure they’re getting a good deal. That is why furnace pricing is important.

Variables Affecting Furnace Pricing of a New Furnace

Like most home renovation jobs, there are many variables that can affect the final cost, including:

  • The brand you choose
  • The model you choose – efficiency rating, type (single-stage, multi-stage, etc), features, and so on
  • The size of the unit (depending on the layout and square footage of your home)
  • Factors relating to the installation like whether you’re replacing an old unit or adding a new one, how old your current unit is and whether any venting and other upgrades are needed to meet modern building codes, whether it’s a conversion (i.e. from oil to gas, for example).
  • Where you live. Different areas can vary by the number of companies in the city and how competitive it is, if you live in a more rural area and they have to travel further to service you, that may factor into the price. Local permits and regulations may also vary by municipality.
  • Which company you deal with. Every company is different, and each one has their own costs, pricing structure, number of staff & overhead, and so on.

“But what’s the REAL price of the unit?”

People often want to know the “real” price of a furnace or A/C model… I can’t count the number of emails and comments we’ve received angrily exclaiming “I don’t care what the installed price is, tell me what the REAL unit price is!!”

However even “list/unit” prices are not always the same for different distributors & contractors, as these can vary based on several factors like the volume of units the company buys, and who they’re buying them from. So two HVAC contractors may in fact be paying different prices for the same unit.

And similar to car makers, furnace and A/C manufacturers typically don’t sell directly to consumers.

Different manufacturers often have different distribution structures, so a local contractor may be buying units directly from the manufacturer, or often from a large authorized regional distributor (an intermediary, basically), or in some cases, they may buy them from another dealer or contractor.

For instance, this would allow two smaller contractors to buy together and get a better unit price since the order volume is higher. Or sometimes a newer contractor might not yet be an actual ‘authorized dealer’ for a particular brand, since this process can take time depending on the brand, so they’ll temporarily buy some stock from another company.

Also this doesn’t automatically mean the largest companies will have the lowest prices because although they may buy higher volume, they also tend to have more overhead, spend more on advertising, etc. Whether the company is large or small, it’s a delicate balancing act with many factors at play.

“How much are companies making on the installation?”

Another common thing consumers want to know is how much the company or contractor is actually making on the whole deal, hoping that they’ll be able to negotiate a “fairer” price if they have this key piece of information.

“How much of the quoted price are they pocketing just for installing the unit?”

The reality is that this varies of course, but some people use 50% as a general rule of thumb, which may be accurate in some cases and wildly off in others. HOWEVER, regardless, it is important to realize that the labour portion of the cost covers many things, it is not all profit.

In addition to the company’s fixed furnace pricing costs – which they have to pay no matter what – including insurance, licensing fees, vehicles and associated costs (fuel, commercial insurance, maintenance), technician salaries, office or storage space, administrator (to help with client support, paperwork, etc), phones & utilities, advertising & marketing, and so on, the company also has to cover costs related to each install.

Beyond the cost of the unit itself, there may be a range of other parts and labour required during the installation. And good technicians are always in demand and therefore don’t work for cheap.

Every home is different, and sometimes unforeseen costs part way through the installation can eat into the company’s narrow margins and even cause the company to lose money in the end. Because a price has already been agreed upon at this point, the contractor will typically absorb this cost.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for companies to occasionally install a furnace or A/C at a price that provides virtually no profit, simply to cover their fixed costs, keep their staff paid, and keep the whole machine running, so to speak.

HVAC contractors also need to cover the cost of future servicing covered by the labour warranty

Finally, because any company worth their salt will provide some form of labour warranty, this means that they also must account for a certain number of service calls and repairs that they will have to cover the cost of.

Now I’m not suggesting that everyone in the HVAC business is living hand to mouth and barely scraping by. Well-run companies, and hard working staff can certainly earn a comfortable living.

I’m simply hoping to illustrate that the price breakdown can be more complex than it appears, and consumers should avoid the temptation of thinking that if a company paid let’s say $1500 for the unit, and quoted $3500 to the customer, that it means that they’re trying to rip you off and will be walking away laughing with $2000 of pure profit.

The pie is split up into many pieces, but this allows good companies to retain high-quality staff and cover other important costs (like insurance, licensing, etc) so that they can deliver top notch service, good ongoing support – in short, heating & cooling solutions that Canadians and their families can depend on.

That being said, there are certainly companies out there who will charge whatever they can get away with, so this highlights the importance of dealing with reputable companies, with fair and transparent pricing.

Why looking for the absolute lowest price is not always the best course of action

Beware of really low furnace pricing…

  • Especially suspiciously low ‘advertised furnace prices’. Certain companies may advertise very low prices, but keep in mind the actual price you get quoted will almost certainly be different. Anyone can advertise “Lennox furnaces for $1800” but in all likelihood, prices like these – if actually available at all – are only for the most basic of installations, on a low end unit, and do not factor in added costs that are likely to appear by the time you get the actual estimate.
  • Or these furnace prices may be factoring in government or utility company rebates that you may or may not qualify for, and in any case will be applied for and reimbursed after the installation.
  • All this means is that you should take advertised prices with a grain of salt, since you’ll virtually never get a firm price until a company can actually do an in-home estimate to assess the labour and parts required for your particular home. If you saw a home renovations company advertising a kitchen makeover for $5,000, it would be obvious that the final price would vary based on many things. Upgrading your heating and cooling system is no different.
  • If a price is very low, will the company spend the added time necessary to deliver quality workmanship, which is crucial to a reliable and long-lasting system? If a company is offering prices that seem too good to be true or are well below the norm, ask yourself how they’re making that profitable… are they cramming in more jobs a day than usual to make it viable, overworking their installers, or using cheaper and less-experienced technicians, for instance?
  • Are they using cheaper, lower quality secondary components, or a used or refurbished unit? So for example, even though the main unit is supposed to be 98% AFUE, because it’s paired with a less efficient coil, the true efficiency may be lower.
  • Is this company reliable? Are they fully insured, and fully licensed? These things cost money… there’s a reason established companies have somewhat higher prices. Will they be there to help if there’s an issue or a service call is required in mid-January?
  • Is it some guy working out of his car? Hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere but just be aware that you typically get what you pay for.

The bottom line is that like any home contracting job, the cost of upgrading your heating & cooling system can vary considerably based on your home, your current system, what your needs are, what you buy, and who you deal with. Always consider furnace pricing when choosing a new unit.

It’s natural to want to make sure you’re not getting ripped off, and get your money’s worth. Unfortunately, no one on the internet is going to be able to give firm and accurate prices without having a professional conduct an in-home estimate.

This is why we’ve partnered with reputable local distributors and contractors to provide free quotes to Canadian homeowners.

Get a free custom price estimate now!


Simon Bernath

Founder of FurnacePrices.ca

During his years of working closely with HVAC professionals, Simon has gotten a unique inside look at how the industry operates, allowing him to share this unique perspective to help Canadians make informed buying decisions when replacing their heating & cooling systems.

The TRUTH About Furnace (and AC) Pricing
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