by John Traveler

Created on: November 02, 2009   Last Updated: November 30, 2009

Installing a new furnace or replacing an existing one, in some states is required to be done by a HVAC contractor or by the homeowner given the appropriate building permits are acquired and inspections performed.

If you are a home owner attempting to do the work yourself, it may be wise to consider that if you do not have a permit (where required) and your home later burns down, whether a result of the new furnace installation or other cause, your insurance company may refuse to pay off on your homeowners policy. This kind of thing happened to a lot of people in California after the 1989 earthquake, because they had structural modifications to their home requiring a permit, but for which they had not attained one. In California at least, a permit is required to install or replace a furnace. You might want to check out the permit requirements in your locale and fine print in your homeowners policy before you get started.

Installing a new furnace is a big job, and not one you can likely do without the help of a person or couple of people to help lift the heavy furnace. In some cases, even with help, you may need a hoist or other equipment to move and lift the new furnace into place. You will, off course, need the correct tools to connect/disconnect gas or oil lines, electrical connections and ducting. The sheet metal edges of ducting and the furnace itself may be sharp, so wearing gloves to prevent cuts when handling the equipment is also advisable.

REMOVING AND EXISTING FURNACE

1) Turn off the gas or oil supply- There is usually a valve located close to the furnace, and in the case of a gas valve, is turned off when the valve handle is turned perpendicular to the gas pipe. As an added safety precaution, it may be a good idea to turn off the gas main to your house. There should be a valve to do this at the gas meter in the case of natural gas or where the gas pipe enters the house in the case of propane. If your water heater has a pilot light and is close to the furnace, you may want to turn it off too, as when you open the gas line a small amount of gas will inevitably escape. Good ventilation in the work area should also be arranged so that any gas that does escape can be quickly dissipated. When safe to do so, remove the flex tubing (usually yellow in the case of gas) from the gas control module on the furnace.

2) Disconnect Electricity - Most furnaces just plug into a wall receptacle, so disconnecting the electricity is as simple as unplugging it. If the furnace

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