Furnace Installation in Mentor, OH
A new furnace here will run from October through May every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Lake County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
What a furnace in Mentor is up against
Your furnace has to carry the house from October through May. That's 8 months of the year, on nights that average 23°F. A furnace sized and installed for that kind of stretch runs different than one that only kicks on for a few cold snaps.
Most homes in this area heat with gas, and any non-weatherized gas furnace built since November 2015 has to hit at least 80 percent AFUE by federal rule. That's the floor, not a feature, and it's worth knowing when someone quotes you a system. Lake County also sees its share of winter storms and wind events strong enough to knock out power, so how a new furnace starts back up after an outage is worth asking about too.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 23°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 80%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 80% AFUE
- the federal minimum any new unit must meet
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A high-efficiency gas furnace would save about $150 a year to run in Lake County compared with a gas furnace.
Estimates for a typical Lake County home, from EIA household energy data, Ohio fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
In Ohio, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the counties.
In Lake County, whether a contractor needs a license depends on the county's own rule, not a state one. Ohio does define what a home contractor is, and that definition calls for at least $250,000 in liability insurance, but that is a definition the state uses, not a license it issues. No state agency here tests or records HVAC contractors.
A furnace installation involves a gas connection, and that connection is the part that has to be right. In most cities and counties, putting in a new furnace needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That inspection, not a state license, is what stands between this homeowner and a bad gas hookup. Most homes in Lake County heat with gas, so this step applies to the large majority of furnace jobs here.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
- What size furnace does my house need?
- The right size comes from a heat loss calculation on your house, not a chart based on square footage alone. Someone doing this right will look at your insulation, your windows, your ceiling height, and how much wall faces outside. A furnace that's too big will short cycle and wear out faster, and one that's too small will run constantly and still leave you cold on a 23°F night. A contractor can run this calculation for your house before recommending a unit.
- How do I know it's time to replace my furnace?
- Age is the first thing to check, along with how often it's breaking down. If repairs are getting more frequent and more expensive, that's a sign the furnace is on its way out. Watch for rooms that won't heat evenly, a furnace that cycles on and off more than it used to, or a gas bill that's climbed without a reason. Heat is needed here from October through May, so a furnace that's failing will make itself known fast once the cold settles in. A contractor can tell you whether what you're seeing is a repair or the start of the end.
- Is a high-efficiency furnace worth it?
- It depends on how long you plan to stay in the house and what your current furnace is costing you to run. Furnaces built since November 2015 are required to hit at least 80 percent AFUE, so even a standard model isn't wasting as much fuel as older ones did. A high-efficiency furnace sends less heat out the flue than that, and the difference can matter more in a place where heat is needed eight months of the year. Most homes here heat with gas, so that difference shows up on winter bills. A contractor can look at your current furnace and your house to tell you whether the upgrade makes sense for you.