FURNACE INSTALLATION IN SALT LAKE CITY — DONE IN A DAY

Swapping a 17-year-old 80% AFUE furnace for a new 95%+ high-efficiency unit cuts Utah winter gas bills 15 to 25%, takes one working day, and buys you another 15 to 20 years of reliable heat. The actual install is the easy part. Doing it correctly — proper load calculation, right-sized equipment, sealed supply plenum, new flue, condensate routed safely, permit pulled — separates a ten-year install from a two-winter call-back.

Most homes on the Wasatch Front were built with oversized furnaces. The original builder sized for peak load plus a generous safety factor, which meant the system short-cycled on average days and wasted gas running full blast for five minutes at a time. When we replace, we do a real Manual J heat-loss calculation for your home's envelope, insulation, window area, and exposure. Nine times out of ten the right replacement is one half-ton smaller than what you had. Smaller, modulating units run longer cycles at lower burn rates, keep temperatures steadier, and save real money.

What gets installed

A modern 95%+ AFUE condensing furnace vents through PVC (not metal flue), pulls combustion air from outside, and condenses the exhaust to extract nearly all of the heat. That condensate has to drain somewhere — tied into an existing drain, pumped to a floor drain, or routed outside with freeze protection in Utah climates. If we're replacing an 80% atmospheric-vent unit, the existing metal flue usually can't be reused because your water heater can no longer pull enough draft on its own. We'll re-line the chimney or convert the water heater's venting as part of the job.

The components that matter

• Variable-speed ECM blower — quieter, better airflow distribution, 30-50% less electricity than old PSC motors
• Two-stage or modulating burner — runs at 40-60% output on mild days, full output when it's 8°F, no more short cycling
• Sealed combustion — pulls air from outdoors, not from conditioned basement space
• Stainless heat exchanger — 20-year design life in Utah's thermal cycling
• Communicating controls (optional) — if you're also upgrading thermostat and AC, fully communicating systems modulate together

Brands we install

Trane XR, XL, and XV series. Lennox Merit and Signature. Carrier Performance and Infinity. Rheem Classic Plus and Prestige. Rheem and Trane own most of the Wasatch Front install market and have the best parts availability at Utah supply houses. Factory-trained on all four. We'll quote two to three brand options at different price points — the "best value" unit for your home isn't always the top-tier model.

Install day

One tech crew, typically two people, 6 to 9 hours on site. Old unit pulled and hauled out. New unit set on a fresh pad, leveled, connected to gas, electrical, and the existing ductwork (or modified ductwork if the plenum is wrong). PVC vent and intake cored through the rim joist or exterior wall. Condensate drain routed and tested. Thermostat reconfigured or upgraded. Combustion analyzer run before the final wipe-down — CO, O2, flue temp, flame rectification all documented. Permit inspection usually happens within 5 business days; we're there for the inspection.

Warranty and financing

Factory parts warranty is 10 years on every major component with registration (which we handle). Our labor warranty matches — 10 years on the install workmanship. Financing is available: 0% for 12 months on approved credit for standard installs, 24 to 60 month plans for larger jobs. Quality Service Club HVAC members get 15% off accessories (humidifier, media filter, zoning) added at install, plus the first year of maintenance included.

Honest pricing

A standard 95% AFUE single-stage furnace, properly installed with permit and PVC venting, runs $5,200 to $7,800 in Salt Lake County. Two-stage units with ECM blowers move to $6,500 to $9,200. Fully modulating 97%+ AFUE units with communicating controls run $8,500 to $12,500. Anyone quoting $3,500 for a "full install" is skipping the permit, reusing bad ductwork, or using a non-branded unit that'll fail inspection and die early. We've seen that show up on replacement calls many times.