In Canada, it seems that winter is always just around the corner—unless it’s already in full swing—so having a reliable furnace is more important here than in many other places.
Older furnaces aren’t as reliable, efficient, or high-performing as their modern counterparts. Consequently, if yours is more than 10 years old, then you might want to consider upgrading to a high-efficiency natural gas furnace that will cut your energy bills and provide you with dependable comfort for many years.
This guide will cover all you need to know to buy a new high-efficiency furnace in Milton. We’ll talk about things like efficiency ratings, warranty terms, financing options, available rebates, furnace installation, and how to find a reliable HVAC contractor to install and maintain your new furnace.
Table of contents
- New Furnace Prices in Milton
- Who Are Our Top Calgary Furnace Contractors?
- What Buying a New Furnace in Milton
- Furnace Features and Technologies that Have the Best Return on Investment
- What to Look for in a Furnace Warranty
- Current Furnace Deals, Offers & Promotions in Milton
- Popular Furnace Brands in Milton
- Top Brands by Tier and Price
- Furnace Rebates in Milton
- Options for Financing a Furnace in Milton
- Installation & Permits Required
- Milton Information
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New Furnace Prices in Milton
Average Furnace Prices in Milton
The average price of a new furnace in Milton is $3000 to $5500, and that includes installation. When it’s time to buy a new furnace, there are some costs you won’t be able to avoid, such as installation.
Higher than average
Slightly above-average price range, which may be due to factors like a more complicated installation, or purchasing a top-of-the-line unit or premium brand.
Typical price range: $3000 – $5500
The average price range for a typical high-efficiency unit with a typical installation from an established, fully licensed & insured local HVAC contractor. Prices will vary within this range based on installation factors, brand & model, unit size/BTU output & efficiency, among other things.
Lower than average
Below-market pricing; be careful if the price is exceptionally low. The lower the price is below average, the higher likelihood that you may receive a more hastily done installation, low-end or used components, limited labour warranty coverage & ongoing support, or the company may be less established or lacking in insurance and/or licensing & certification.
Furnace Cost Calculator
Similarly, some factors could make your purchase more expensive, including where you live and whether you’re right in Milton or in a smaller outlying area. If you’re more rural, then there’s probably less HVAC competition and more travel required for HVAC technicians, so the cost could go up a little.
Milton has its share of fairly wealthy or upper middle class neighbourhoods, which can lead to slightly higher home improvement and contracting costs. As a rule of thumb, regions with larger and more expensive homes tend to have slightly higher home improvement costs than lower income areas.
There are some ways you can help control the cost of your new furnace to suit your budget, so let’s look at what factors increase furnace prices:
- Efficiency (the higher the AFUE, the higher the price)
- ENERGY STAR® certification comes at a premium
- Larger furnaces cost more than smaller ones
- Additional features will cost more
- The type of furnace (such as single-stage versus modulating) can increase or lower the price
Who Are Our Top Calgary Furnace Contractors?
How to Choose a Milton HVAC Dealer
A good HVAC company will do many things for you, including:
- Finding a furnace that works with your budget and comfort needs
- Sizing your furnace properly
- Installing your new heating system
- Coming back for maintenance and service
- Making themselves available for emergency repairs should the need arise
- Being reliable and responsive whenever you might need help with your heating and cooling system
There are several HVAC companies in Milton to choose from, but how do you know which ones are reputable and trustworthy?
We’ve taken the guesswork out of it by creating an independent contractor certification program that assesses HVAC companies in Milton and around the country. Participating companies have been evaluated for things like experience, education, training, reputation, customer service, quoting processes, and more.
What Buying a New Furnace in Milton
Efficiency is one of the most important things you have to consider when buying a new furnace, and here’s why:
- The efficiency of the furnace will affect the price
- The efficiency will be taken into consideration when sizing your furnace (you can usually get away with a slightly smaller furnace if it’s highly efficient)
- Efficiency will determine how much you’ll save on energy bills in the coming years
When comparing furnace efficiency, you’ll want to look at the AFUE, which stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. This measures how much fuel a furnace uses versus how much heat it produces. In other words, it measures how much fuel the furnace wastes, so higher numbers mean better efficiency.
The most efficient furnaces available right now have AFUE ratings of 99 percent. More affordable high-efficiency furnaces will be in the 92 to 96 percent range. And any ENERGY STAR furnace will have an AFUE of 95 percent or higher.
Some furnaces will have the voluntary EnerGuide label, and this can help you shop. The guide will tell you the furnace’s AFUE, and the AFUE of similar models.
Furnace Features and Technologies that Have the Best Return on Investment
Furnaces that come with lots of bells and whistles also come with higher price tags, so if you want all the extras, then expect to pay a premium for your upgrade.
At the same time, there are many features and technologies available today that are well worth the additional cost because they can save you time, energy, money, and headaches. Let’s look at some of the most worthwhile features available with modern furnaces:
- High-Efficiency/ENERGY STAR: We’ve already talked about the importance of efficiency, and the key takeaway is this: more efficient furnaces will cost more, but they’ll also reduce your heating bills by a larger factor.
- Two-Stage or Modulating Gas Valve: Furnaces with a two-stage or modulating gas valve can operate at different speeds when they’re running. Operating at a lower speed for longer periods results in quieter, more efficient, and more even heat.
- Smart Thermostat Compatibility: Smart thermostats can actually save you money by learning your comfort habits and making automatic adjustments to your heat settings to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
- Self-Diagnostics: Keeping your furnace maintained will help extend its life, and the longer it lasts, the longer you can go without having to replace it. Self-diagnostics help with maintenance by making it easier and faster (which can also save on labour costs), as well as more accurate. This translates to a longer-lasting furnace that’s always tuned and calibrated properly and operating optimally.
- Variable-Speed Blower Motor: Variable-speed blowers are better than single-speed ones for the same reasons that two-stage and modulating furnaces are superior to single-stage models: they have improved efficiency, better temperature maintenance, and quieter performance.
- Secondary Heat Exchanger: Furnaces with secondary heat exchangers are called condensing models because they use heat from the flue gasses to produce more energy using the same amount of fuel. Condensing furnaces are, consequently, more efficient.
What to Look for in a Furnace Warranty
Do you know what makes a good furnace warranty, or what components should be covered? If not, this section is just for you.
A good warranty can save you money on repairs, save you money on labour, and give you peace of mind knowing that your investment is designed to last.
All furnaces sold in Canada generally come with a five-year parts warranty and a 10-year heat exchanger warranty at the very least. However, these are very basic warranty terms, and most manufacturers do a lot better than that.
The absolute best warranty terms on the market right now include:
- Labour warranty (one to three years)
- Parts warranty (10 years)
- Heat exchanger warranty (20 years to lifetime)
- Unit replacement warranty (one year to lifetime)
Regardless of the warranty, all manufacturers have basic and registered terms. The basic warranty will be much shorter, whereas the registered warranty gives you the longest coverage. To be eligible, you must register the furnace within 60 to 90 days of installation.
Current Furnace Deals, Offers & Promotions in Milton
Current Promo for Canadian Heating:
We are offering $8350 in rebates as well as we are giving a 5% discount to military personnel as usual we are now adding First Responders to also get the 5% discount.
Popular Furnace Brands in Milton
For the most part, the brand of furnace you buy won’t impact the performance or efficiency too much.
There are some great economy brands out there that make affordable models with high AFUE ratings and good warranties, even if they don’t offer all the cutting-edge technologies and features.
At the same time, there are also high-end brands that make quality furnaces that do come with the extras, and there are mid-range brands that offer the best of both worlds.
Depending on your budget, you might want to look at economy brands like Goodman, York, KeepRite, Armstrong, and Comfortmaker.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are the high-end brands like Lennox and Carrier that make great furnaces and offer cool features, but that charge a premium for their products.
Then there’s the middle road—the balance between economy and sophistication—and those brands include:
Top Brands by Tier and Price
Economy Tier
Average price: $3,750
Brand example: KeepRite
Mid-Range
Average price: $4,750
Brand example: Bryant, Trane, Rheem
Furnace Rebates in Milton
Who doesn’t love rebates? You buy something you were going to buy anyway, and you get money back! Rebates can be a great source of savings for homeowners who are already looking to upgrade their furnaces, and they can be worth hundreds of dollars or more.
At the moment, there’s only one furnace rebate available to Milton homeowners, and that is the Home Efficiency Rebate from Enbridge/Union Gas. It’s worth $250 on the purchase of a natural gas furnace with condensing technology and an AFUE of 96 percent or higher.
Although that’s the only rebate open right now, it’s good practice to check for available rebates right before you go furnace shopping. For one thing, new rebates become available all the time from the government, furnace manufacturers, utility companies, environmental groups, and even banks.
Moreover, you often have to qualify in advance for rebates, so you’ll want to address this before you buy a furnace. Similarly, most rebates are for specific types of furnaces, such as high-efficiency ones, models with a certain AFUE, or ENERGY STAR units, so the rebates can guide your search for a furnace upgrade.
Options for Financing a Furnace in Milton
Rebates are great for saving some money on the purchase of a new furnace, but what about paying for the rest of it?
Financing through a reputable HVAC company is an option you can consider. Many dealers offer financing options like lease agreements, payment deferrals, zero-interest loans, low-interest financing, and even bad credit loans to help homeowners pay for HVAC equipment.
Terms are flexible, and you can choose to pay off your furnace over the course of a year, or spread it out over 15 years (that’s usually the maximum). This gives you a great deal of flexibility with your repayments, and provides an opportunity to upgrade to an even better furnace with a higher efficiency rating, better features, and a larger return on investment in terms of energy savings.
Installation & Permits Required
A Building Permit is required for all new buildings, additions, renovations, repairs, the replacement of various building components such as windows, roofing siding or insulation, the installation of wood or pellet stoves, chimney linings and solar systems.
Free: ELECTRICAL, GAS AND PLUMBING PERMITS – $35 PER $1,000 (1ST $10,000 VALUE). $10 EA ADD $1,000
Link: https://www.townofmilton.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif911/f/uploads/fee_schedule_5-1-09.pdf
Milton Information
Milton is a relatively small (compared to nearby cities like Hamilton) but growing city in the Greater Toronto Area, roughly 40 minutes from Toronto.
Milton has something for just about everybody. It has all the amenities you would need right in the city, but its proximity to Toronto also gives you easy access to the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. At the same time, when you’re in Milton, you don’t have to drive far to get to the country, get to the beach, or get to nearby places like Guelph.
One of the nicest things about Milton is its connection to nature, and there are many conservation areas within the city limits, including Mountsberg, Crawford Lake, Rattlesnake Point, Kelso, and Hilton Falls.
Milton Statistics
Population: 110,128
Average summer temperature: 19.7 C
Average winter temperature: -5.3 C
Popular Neighbourhoods in and Around Milton
- Milton Heights
- Campbellville
- Haltonville
- Crewsons Corners
- Omagh
- Kelso
- Hornby
- Eden Mills
- Drumquin
- Darbyville
- Nassagaweya
- Peru
- Brookville
- Dorset Park