If you have a furnace that has been acting up, your initial thought may be to contact a local furnace installation and repair contractor and schedule a service call. Before you pick up that phone, it helps to have the following information.

The Model Number

Every furnace  is unique in its own ways, which can include the parts it uses and how the unit opens up to be serviced. It's important to have the model number of the furnace on hand so that you can get an accurate quote from your HVAC contractor. For example, a new blower motor can vary in price between different types of furnace, and an HVAC contractor can look up that part if they have the correct model number.

The Furnace's Age

If your furnace came with your home and has not been replaced since you moved in, you may not know how old it is. However, you can get this information from the same place where the model number is located. Chances are that the furnace will list its manufacture date on the same section as the model number. While it won't be an indication of the exact month that it was installed, it can give you a very close estimate. Your HVAC contractor can use this information to determine if it may be time for you to replace the furnace, since these appliances do have a limited lifespan. It may not make the most sense to have an old unit repaired if it is nearing its life expectancy.

The Previous Maintenance

Another pieces of information that can be helpful to have is when the furnace was last serviced. Some furnaces have a place where previous HVAC contractors write the month and year the unit was serviced, but you may need to get out a receipt to double check your personal records. This can give an indication of how long parts have been properly functioning, which can help diagnose the problem over the phone.

The Trouble Signs

You'll want to prepare an explanation that is as detailed as possible about what the furnace is doing, as well as what steps you have taken so far to troubleshoot the problem. For example, if the furnace is not turning on when your home reaches a specific temperature, you can describe what you have done to troubleshoot the thermostat. If you are calling on behalf of someone else that has done the troubleshooting, make sure you get as much info as possible from them about what they did to try to fix the furnace.