Is winter a bit colder than you expected this year? No matter how high you set the thermostat, is it still cold in your home? All good things must come to an end and that includes, unfortunately, the useful life of even the best and/or most expensive furnaces. When this happens in the middle of winter, it's obviously much more inconvenient than it would be if it happened in early spring or late autumn. You want to get this fixed as quickly as possible so you avoid things like frozen water pipes and an uncomfortably cold home. However, you shouldn't necessarily hire the first professional you find. Some essential questions you should be asking include:

What sort of maintenance plan and/or warranty do you offer? The furnace itself should be covered by a manufacturer's warranty for at least a year but potentially up to five years, depending on the manufacturer. The furnace installation portion may be covered under a separate warranty by the contractor. In addition, the manufacturer's warranty may not apply if you don't follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule. It's a good idea to get these things ironed out with the installation professional before you allow his or her company to begin working.

Are any special permits required? In some municipalities, as long as you're replacing one furnace with a similarly-functioning furnace, then no permits are required. At other times, especially if you're planning to switch from gas to electric or vice versa, your furnace installer is going to need permits from the city before you can proceed. Sometimes, this is something handled by the installation company, and sometimes you are expected to get the permits beforehand. Regardless of whose responsibility the permits are, they're usually nothing to worry about, and you'll be able to have your new furnace installed in practically no time at all.

What kind of payment schedule do you offer? Few people are able to pay for a new furnace installation out of pocket. If you are able to do so, good for you. Otherwise, you're going to want to look for a contractor who is willing and able to take payments. Make sure that you get the payment schedule in writing so that you know not only how much each payment will be, down to the penny but also on what date these payments will occur. Having a vague payment schedule that says little more than that you'll be paying, for instance, 1/5th of the price every month, is not what you want. This can result in misunderstandings regarding exactly when the first and last payments are supposed to be, resulting in additional stress for both you and the contractor.

To learn more about furnace installation, contact an HVAC contractor in your area.