A new furnace changes the way a home feels, especially along the Front Range where winter can swing from sunny to single digits in a day. Getting the equipment set is only half the job. What happens in the first 24 to 72 hours after install sets the tone for the next decade. I have walked into basements a week after a brand-new system went in and found a backwards filter, a programming glitch, or a gas pressure setting that made the blower sound like a small jet. None of those are dramatic fixes, but each one can shave years off a system or tack on unnecessary energy cost if ignored.
This checklist reflects what I look for on site in Denver homes, from brick bungalows in Baker to newer two-stories in Green Valley Ranch. It accounts for altitude, our dry climate, and the way older ductwork and modern high-efficiency furnaces sometimes struggle to get along. Use it to verify your installer left things buttoned up, and to set a smart baseline for maintenance and comfort.
First principles: what “right” looks like
A proper Furnace Installation Denver CO job doesn’t just heat the house. It runs quietly without odd smells after the burn‑off period, it maintains steady temperatures without swinging two or three degrees, and it does not trigger frequent cycling. The supply and return feel balanced, the thermostat reads close to an independent thermometer, and the condensate, if it is a 90 percent plus unit, drains without gurgling or dripping. Utility bills make sense for the square footage and insulation levels, within a range you and your contractor discussed ahead of time. When any of those pieces are off, the home tells you quickly, usually in noise, drafts, or uneven rooms.
Walkthrough before the crew leaves
Most homeowners think the final five minutes of an installation is paperwork. It is the most valuable time to ask for proof and set expectations. Before your crew packs up, have them show you four things in real time: combustion numbers, static pressure, thermostat configuration, and safety checks. A good contractor expects this. If you hear hedging, ask for a lead tech or schedule a follow-up visit.
Here is the short-version handoff I request and document on site, which doubles as the first of two lists in this article:
- Verify model and serial numbers match the contract and warranty registration, and confirm the warranty is registered to your name and address. Review gas manifold pressure and CO readings at startup and under high fire, with numbers written on the install sticker on the furnace cabinet. Measure total external static pressure and compare to the manufacturer’s rated maximum for your blower; note supply and return pressures separately. Check thermostat settings: system type, heat stages, fan profile, and any adaptive learning features; confirm the correct heat source is selected if paired with a heat pump. Demonstrate the shutoff steps: gas valve location, electrical disconnect, and breaker; show where the air filter sits and the right orientation.
If that five-point handoff is thorough, everything else tends to go smoothly. It also anchors the conversation if you need to call for furnace service Denver a week later.
Gas and ventilation checks that matter at altitude
Denver sits around 5,280 feet. Combustion behaves differently here than at sea level. On natural gas units, the installer should adjust manifold pressure and, when applicable, set orifice sizes or derating based on the manufacturer’s altitude chart. I keep a manometer and a combustion analyzer in my kit for this reason. On first firing, you want steady flame, clean blue with slight yellow tips if specified by the maker, and carbon monoxide in the flue below the manufacturer’s threshold, often under 50 ppm air‑free once stabilized. Fresh installs will smoke a little as oils burn off the heat exchanger coating during the first hour. That is normal. Persistent odor after the first few heat cycles is not.
Vent piping is another altitude-adjacent concern. High-efficiency furnaces use PVC or CPVC in a two-pipe setup: one for intake, one for exhaust. The installer must pitch the exhaust back to the furnace at roughly a quarter inch per foot so condensate returns to the trap instead of pooling in the pipe. I still see long horizontal runs sagging between hangers. On a cold snap, that sag can frost up and starve the unit. Step outside and look at the termination, too. The exhaust should not be blowing directly toward a walkway where ice can form, and the intake must be positioned to avoid rebreathing exhaust. Separation and orientation matter, especially on narrow side yards in older Denver neighborhoods.
If you have a standard efficiency unit with a metal flue tied to an existing water heater, confirm the common vent sizing was recalculated. A new furnace with a more efficient draft can rob the water heater of proper draft if the B‑vent sizing is wrong. I have seen backdrafting in basements that smelled like a faint laundry-room must, which turned out to be exhaust gases. A quick match test near the water heater draft hood after both appliances have run for a few minutes tells the story. The flame should pull in, not push away.
Ductwork and static pressure: the invisible bottleneck
Most replacement jobs drop a modern, variable-speed furnace onto a duct system that predates high-efficiency blowers. If the installer treated it as a plug‑and‑play, your blower could be starving against high static pressure. That shows up as a whine on high speed, rooms that get air but not enough, and heat exchangers cycling off on limit because airflow is low at high fire.
I ask for a total external static reading at commissioning. For many residential blowers, you want to see numbers at or below 0.8 inches of water column total, with some manufacturers calling for even lower. In Denver’s older homes, I see 1.0 and higher more often than I like. The fix is rarely a bigger furnace. It’s a better return path: a larger filter rack, a less restrictive media, more return grille area, or a short run of new return duct into a central hallway. Some homes benefit from balancing dampers to throttle oversupplied runs and push air to starved rooms. If your installer noted high static and did nothing more than adjust blower tap speeds, plan to revisit this. It’s worth a call to a furnace tune up Denver specialist who can make small duct upgrades that pay back in quieter operation and better heat delivery.
Thermostat setup and staging: getting the brain right
Modern furnaces often have two heat stages and variable-speed blowers. The thermostat needs to know the equipment profile to use those features. I see a lot of smart thermostats set to single‑stage because the installer was in a hurry. The system will still heat, but it will slam into high fire more often, making rooms feel hotter near registers and cooler in the corners. In Denver’s shoulder seasons, proper staging lets the furnace loaf in first stage longer, which saves gas and keeps humidity from dropping even further inside.
Confirm the thermostat’s system type matches your equipment: conventional gas heat with one or two stages, or dual fuel if you have a heat pump. Check the heat cycle rate or “aggressiveness” setting. Gas furnaces often run best at three to five cycles per hour depending on the home’s load. If your thermostat uses learning algorithms, give it a week to settle in but monitor whether it’s overshooting setpoint. In older houses with big radiative losses, I sometimes disable learning and rely on steady time‑based schedules. There is no badge for automatic features if they fight your envelope.
Filter, return, and airflow basics
The right filter is a simple piece of this but easy to miss. Many new installs get an oversized 4‑inch media filter because it reduces pressure drop and extends change intervals. If your cabinet was adapted to fit a 1‑inch slot, be extra careful about MERV rating. A 1‑inch MERV 13 can choke airflow on a high static system. In that case, a MERV 8 or 10 is often the safer choice unless the return was upsized during install. Look for arrows on the filter frame and the cabinet sticker; the airflow direction should point toward the furnace.
The return air path matters as much as supply. Close the basement door and listen to the blower. If the pitch changes, you may be creating a return restriction unintentionally. I have had success adding a jump duct or transfer grille above bedroom doors in homes where closed doors cripple the return flow at night. Keep furniture and drapes off return grilles, and vacuum the grilles after the first week, because installation dust finds its way there.
Condensate management on high-efficiency units
If you moved to a condensing furnace during a Furnace Replacement Denver CO project, you now have a condensate drain. The installer should have built a trap assembly, sloped the drain line, and either tied it into a floor drain or installed a condensate pump. Look for a clean, solid trap, glued joints where needed, and a visible air gap if the line enters a standpipe. Pumps should sit level, with the discharge line looped high enough to prevent siphoning back. Prime the trap the first day if the installer didn’t. Pour a cup of water into the drain assembly so it seals and prevents flue gases from entering the space.
In winter, discharge lines that run to the exterior can freeze. I prefer tying into an interior https://telegra.ph/Furnace-Replacement-Denver-How-to-Pick-the-Right-Contractor-01-03 drain whenever possible in Denver. If you must exit outside, the last foot should be protected and pitched so it drains fully. A frozen condensate line can shut down the furnace on a cold night, which is the definition of bad timing.
Electrical and safety controls
A clean electrical setup has a service switch within sight of the furnace, a properly sized breaker, and neat low-voltage wiring. The door switch should cut power when the blower panel opens. Take a moment to label the breaker and the service switch if they are not already. Check that the equipment cabinet has a clear working area around it, usually 30 inches of depth and enough width to remove panels. Carbon monoxide alarms belong outside sleeping areas and on each floor; if your alarms are more than seven years old, replace them.
For gas furnaces, shutoff valves should be accessible and installed with a drip leg (sediment trap). I have tested lines that look tight but leak when wiggled lightly. A quick soapy water test at the union and valve takes one minute and a rag. Safety is not negotiable.
Breaking in the system: first 72 hours
The first days tell you a lot. Run the system through several cycles at different setpoints. Listen at startup and shutdown. You will likely hear the inducer fan, then the burner, then the main blower. The blower should ramp smoothly. Rattles often trace back to loose panels or duct transitions that need a few more screws or better tape. A burning smell on day one is common as oils burn off; it should fade quickly. If you have pets or newly installed carpet, expect more odor as fibers and dust hit warm metal for the first time.
Watch the condensate line during a long call for heat. You should see a steady trickle, not gurgling. Check for leaks around the trap and pump. If your thermostat gives run‑time stats, note typical cycle length and total runtime on a 25‑degree night versus a 40‑degree day. This becomes your baseline for future furnace tune up Denver visits.
Balancing rooms and managing expectations
Most Denver houses have at least one stubborn room. It sits over the garage, it faces north, or it has more window than wall. A new furnace cannot fix physics, but small adjustments help. Ask your installer to perform a basic air balance. That can be as simple as partially closing a damper on an overperforming run and verifying pressures do not spike. In tri‑level homes, I sometimes recommend a simple duct booster is replaced with a real balancing damper and, in select cases, a return path added to the top floor. If you are relying on a single system for three levels, seasonal damper positions can help: a little more to upstairs in winter, the opposite in summer.
If that feels like micromanagement, consider a zoning retrofit. Two zones controlled by a proper panel and bypass strategy can turn a squirrely home into a calm one. It is not cheap, and it is not right for every house, but it is often a smarter spend than oversizing the furnace. Oversizing shortens run cycles, raises noise, and creates bigger temperature swings.
Paperwork, warranty, and the service plan
Your installer should register the equipment with the manufacturer within the window, often 60 to 90 days, to secure the longer parts warranty. Save a copy of the registration and the commissioning sheet with the measurements we discussed. If you end up needing gas furnace repair Denver three winters from now, those numbers give the tech a reference point and save diagnostic time.
Most reputable companies offer a maintenance plan that includes one heating visit and one cooling visit per year, plus a discount on parts. In this climate, it makes sense. Filters alone will not catch a creeping inducer bearing or a condensate trap starting to sludge. A documented furnace maintenance Denver program helps protect the heat exchanger warranty, since manufacturers expect proof of routine service if a claim ever arises.
What a proper first-year tune‑up includes
After living with the system a season, schedule a furnace service Denver appointment in late summer or early fall. A first-year tune‑up is not a quick vacuum and go. It should recheck combustion, confirm gas pressure under both stages, inspect the flue for discoloration, test safety switches under simulated fault conditions, and verify the blower wheel and motor are clean. High-efficiency units need the condensate trap disassembled and rinsed. The tech should inspect the igniter for micro‑cracks and check flame sensor signal strength. If you run a humidifier, the pad needs replacement and the water line should be flushed.
If you see a tune‑up advertised at a price that barely covers the drive time, compare the checklist carefully. The goal is to catch things early, not sell you parts you do not need. Honest maintenance keeps real problems small. For example, a 20‑minute task to adjust a blower speed can drop static just enough to stop nuisance limit trips, which otherwise masquerade as mysterious intermittent shutdowns.
Evaluating efficiency and bills without guesswork
After a month or two, compare your gas usage to the same period last year, but normalize it for weather. The Public Service Company of Colorado includes heating degree days on some statements, or you can find local degree days online. Divide your therms by the degree days for the billing period. A lower number year over year means you’re using less gas per unit of cold. If the number went up, the house may be warmer now, or you may have an airflow or staging issue. Pair those numbers with a simple indoor thermometer placed away from vents. If the thermostat says 70 and the thermometer reads 66 in the far bedroom, you have a distribution problem to fix, not an efficiency problem in the burner.
When replacement makes more sense than patching
Not every installation is new. Sometimes the checklist is part of deciding between repair and a Furnace Replacement Denver CO project. A cracked heat exchanger, repeated inducer failures, or a unit that runs loud and hard because the duct system is beyond what it can manage are moments to pause. If your furnace is 20 years old and needs a heat exchanger, the math often favors replacement. If it is 10 years old with an isolated control board failure, repair likely wins.
When replacement is on the table, look beyond AFUE ratings. Ask the contractor to measure your duct static and propose duct changes, even small ones, as part of the quote. In many Denver houses, adding a return and upsizing the filter rack does more for comfort than bumping AFUE from 95 to 97. If the quote includes a variable‑speed blower, make sure the airflow tables are reviewed against your measured static so the quiet you are paying for actually happens.
Homeowner tasks you can handle without tools
There are a few simple things that keep a new system happy between professional visits. This is the second and final list allowed in this article, meant for quick reference on the fridge:
- Check and change the filter on a schedule suitable for your home: start monthly for 1‑inch filters, quarterly for 4‑inch media, then adjust based on dust and pets. Keep the area around the furnace and return grilles clear, and vacuum grilles to reduce dust intake. Inspect the condensate line monthly during heating season for kinks, algae, or leaks; pour a cup of water into the trap at the start of the season. Test carbon monoxide alarms twice a year and replace them when they reach end of life, typically at seven years. Watch and listen: new noises, short cycling, or a sudden change in burner sound are early signs to call for service.
A few Denver‑specific wrinkles worth noting
Our climate dries everything out. If your home relied on the old furnace’s high, hot blasts to keep rooms feeling warm, a new high‑efficiency unit running longer, gentler cycles can feel different even at the same temperature. Consider a properly installed bypass or powered humidifier if your indoor relative humidity drops below 25 percent for long stretches. It is easier on wood floors and sinuses, and it lets you feel comfortable at a slightly lower setpoint.
Basements in older houses sometimes run cold after a replacement because the return was improved upstairs, stealing a pressure path that used to pull warm air through the lower level. If this happens, a small return added to the basement living area often balances it out without boosting total runtime.
Wild weather swings expose marginal venting and pressure settings quickly. The day after a cold front, pay attention to how the system starts. A delayed ignition bang is not normal and usually points to gas pressure or burner alignment. Do not let that ride. A quick visit from a gas furnace repair Denver tech to clean burners and confirm pressure solves it before it becomes a cracked igniter or worse.
Red flags that deserve a callback
If any of the following shows up after your installation, do not wait for your next scheduled furnace maintenance Denver appointment. Call the installer:
Persistent chemical or metallic smell after the first day of operation. Burn‑off should not last week after week.
Water near the furnace cabinet on a condensing unit, or gurgling noises in the vent pipe. That points to condensate management issues.
Frequent short cycling: the furnace starts, runs for a few minutes, shuts off, and repeats. That often indicates airflow problems or misconfigured staging.
CO detectors alarming or nausea and headaches when the furnace runs. Step outside, call for service, and do not restart the unit until cleared.
Flue frost or visible exhaust backflow at the termination. In tight side yards with snow drift, terminations sometimes need adjustment.
The payoff for doing it right
A good post-install routine turns a new furnace into an unobtrusive part of your home. You get quieter mornings, fewer cold spots, and utility bills that line up with what you expected when you signed the contract. You also build a relationship with a service company that knows your system. If you ever do need help at 2 a.m. in January, they can pull your commissioning data and get you warm fast.
Treat the checklist as a living document. Tape a copy of your commissioning numbers inside the furnace door. Note filter changes and any service calls. When your next seasonal furnace tune up Denver visit comes around, hand that history to the tech. It saves them guesswork and saves you time. After countless replacements and service calls across the metro area, the homes that age their systems well are not the ones with the fanciest equipment. They are the ones where the basics were respected on day one, and checked again before the snow really flew.
Tipping Hat Plumbing, Heating and Electric
Address: 1395 S Platte River Dr, Denver, CO 80223
Phone: (303) 222-4289