Get the furnace diagnosed before you decide. When one part fails on a furnace that has otherwise run well and nothing unsafe is found, repair is usually the sensible first step. Replacement is worth weighing when breakdowns keep coming back, a safety problem is found, or you were already planning an upgrade. On a cold Barrie night, the first job is safe heat, not a buying decision.
Safety first: If a CO alarm goes off, leave the home now and call 911 from outside. If you smell gas, leave and, from outside, call 911 and Enbridge Gas's emergency line at 1-866-763-5427. On propane, call 911 and your propane supplier. Don't stay inside to look for the furnace's age or paperwork.
My furnace just died in the cold. Do I have to decide on a new one tonight?
No. On a no-heat night the goal is a furnace that runs safely again, or a safe way to stay warm until it does. The bigger decision can wait until you know what failed. A diagnosis tells you which part stopped the heat and whether anything unsafe turned up. That's the information you need to choose calmly between repair and replacement, and it's hard to get any other way.
Tonight, in order
- Do the safe basic checks in our furnace not working checklist.
- If the heat is still off, call our 24/7 emergency furnace repair line at (249) 209-2216.
- Keep everyone warm and safe in the meantime with our guide to waiting for furnace repair.
- Ask for the diagnosis in plain words, and write it down.
When does repairing my furnace usually make sense?
Repair usually makes sense when a single part has failed on a furnace with a good track record, nothing unsafe was found, and the house heated evenly before the breakdown. A no-heat breakdown often comes down to one component, such as an igniter, a sensor, a switch or a motor. When the fault is clear, a repair gets the heat back without starting a bigger project in the middle of winter.
Signs repair is a reasonable first step
- It's the first breakdown in a long while.
- The failed part has been identified.
- No safety problem was found with the venting, burners or heat exchanger.
- The house was comfortable before the furnace quit.
When should I start thinking about replacing the furnace?
Start weighing replacement when breakdowns keep returning, a safety problem is found with the heat exchanger or venting, or the furnace is near the end of its working life. Comfort problems that never went away, such as rooms that stay cold, count too. Our furnace installation and replacement page compares common signs, including typical ages. Age on its own doesn't mean a furnace that runs safely has to go.
Write these down before you decide
- The furnace's age, from the rating label or your home records
- Repairs in the last few years and what each one fixed
- What was found this time, in the technician's words
- Anything you were told is unsafe
How to find the furnace's age
The furnace's rating label lists its model and serial number. If you can see the label without taking anything apart, photograph it. The manufacturer or a technician can often work out the age from those numbers. Home purchase papers and old service invoices can help too.
Can I keep using my furnace if a technician says it's unsafe?
No. If a technician turns off your furnace or its gas supply because of a safety problem, leave it off until the problem is fixed or the furnace is replaced. Don't restart it, reset it or turn the gas back on yourself, even if the house is getting cold. Use safe ways to stay warm and keep your CO alarms working. A safety finding changes the question from "repair or replace" to "what's the safest way to get heat back?"
How do I check Ontario rebates before replacing a furnace?
Check official program pages before you buy, not after. In Ontario, the Home Renovation Savings program, run by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy with support from the Ontario government, lists rebates for upgrades such as heat pumps, insulation and smart thermostats. Eligibility, amounts and rules change, so read the current terms on homerenovationsavings.ca and confirm them before you sign anything.
How to verify a rebate
- Find the upgrade on the official program site and read who qualifies. Home Renovation Savings, for example, requires you to own the home.
- Check whether pre-approval or a home energy assessment is needed before any work starts.
- Check whether you have to use a participating contractor.
- Save a copy of the current terms, with the date you read them.
- Don't rely on a salesperson's figure alone. Confirm it on the program's own site.
Good to know: For heat pumps, Home Renovation Savings says pre-approval is mandatory and installations done before approval aren't eligible. A rushed mid-winter replacement can miss a rebate for that reason. The federal Canada Greener Homes Grant is closed, according to Natural Resources Canada. Programs change, so check the official pages on the day you decide.
Can a company sell me a new furnace when it comes to fix my old one?
Not during that visit, in most cases. Ontario bans unsolicited door-to-door sales of furnaces. If you call a business for a repair, maintenance or an energy assessment, it can leave information about new equipment but can't sign you to a new furnace contract while it's there. A business can sign a contract at your home if you invited it to come for buying or leasing one. Ontario's door-to-door sales rules list the details and exceptions.
If you sign a contract at home
- You can cancel within 10 days of receiving the written contract, for any reason.
- Ontario's guidance says to get a detailed written contract that includes a cost estimate and a completion date.
- Ask whether the supplier will register a security interest (often called a lien) on the furnace or a notice on your home's title. Ontario's disclosure notice says this can affect cancelling early, refinancing or selling your home.
My furnace is rented or financed. Does that change anything?
Yes. Read your rental or financing agreement before you replace anything. It may say who arranges repairs, what happens if the furnace is replaced early, and whether a security interest is registered on the equipment or a notice is on your home's title. Ontario's disclosure notice recommends a lawyer's advice when that could affect cancelling a contract, refinancing or selling. If you're a tenant, tell your landlord, since replacing the furnace is their decision.
What should I ask before I agree to a replacement?
Ask for the reasons in writing, and get written quotes from more than one company. Natural Resources Canada advises getting firm written quotes from several companies for the whole job, including any ductwork or piping changes and removal of the old equipment. It also advises sizing a new furnace with a heat loss calculation for your home rather than copying the old unit's size. Compare the quotes line by line.
Questions worth asking
- What exactly failed, and can it be repaired safely?
- Why is replacement being recommended now rather than after a repair?
- What does each quote include, and what's left out?
- Which rebates, if any, does this qualify for, and has any required pre-approval been done?
Barrie's heating season is long, and a replacement rushed through a January cold snap leaves little time for quotes, sizing or rebate approvals. If a safe repair keeps the furnace going through the winter, you can plan the bigger decision properly.