The short answer
A home inspector’s report that says “recommend replacement” isn’t a diagnosis. Inspectors look at a lot of house in a few hours, and on a furnace that usually means the age on the label and whether it fires. Before you negotiate a credit or sign for a new system in Northern Virginia, have a licensed HVAC tech open it up. Our second opinion is free: we look at the system and tell you what it actually needs. You don’t owe us anything for looking.
Why inspectors flag furnaces
| What the report says | What it usually means | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Past its expected life | The label date is 15 to 20 years old | Heat exchanger, burners, blower, how it’s been kept |
| Rust or corrosion noted | Rust on the cabinet or at the flue | Whether it’s cosmetic or the heat exchanger itself |
| Did not respond to thermostat | It didn’t fire on inspection day | Often a switch, a filter or a pilot, sometimes a part |
| Recommend evaluation by HVAC contractor | They’re handing it off | Everything, with photos |
To read the label date yourself, our equipment age decoder turns a serial number into a year.
Free Furnace With a New AC
Put in a new AC with its matching coil and a basic single-stage gas furnace goes in with it, installed together. See the free furnace
Want your own number before anyone comes out? The HVAC estimator prices your house in a few questions.
Old isn’t the same as done
A 17-year-old furnace that’s been serviced can have years left. A 9-year-old one that never saw a filter can be in trouble. The thing that actually ends a furnace’s life is a cracked heat exchanger, and we show you that with a camera. If it’s sound, a $67 heating check (through December 31) or our $99 tune-up gets it ready for the winter and you replace it on your schedule, not the seller’s.
If you’re still negotiating
A written finding from a licensed HVAC company carries more weight in a negotiation than a line in an inspection report. If the furnace does need replacing, you’ll have it in writing with a price, and you can ask for a credit that matches. If it doesn’t, you’ve saved yourself a fight you didn’t need.
Already have a replacement quote? Our guide on how to read an HVAC replacement quote shows what should be on it, and what a new furnace costs in Northern Virginia gives you the range.
If you already closed
Get the second opinion before the first cold night. Our first cold night test run walks you through firing it up yourself. If it smells like dust burning for the first few minutes, that’s normal (furnace burning smell); if it keeps going, call.
Booking the heating check, a dryer vent cleaning or a water heater flush for your new place? Book it from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer and free MOLTN cookies come to the door with the visit:
| Visit | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Drain clearing | $99 | A slow sink cleared up to the P-trap |
| Heating check | $67 per system | Furnace, heat pump or boiler checked before winter, through December 31 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $199 | Normally $298, with a year of Comfort+ included |
| Water heater flush | $99 | Normally $199, anode and relief valve checked |
Every visit we’d do in a new house is on our new homeowner page.
Book it
Duct cleaning with cookies: goswiftpro.com/followus. The drain clearing, heating check, dryer vent or flush with cookies: goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer. Or call (703) 997-9757. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
The home inspection said replace the furnace. Do I have to?
Not on the inspector’s word alone. Inspectors mostly go by age and whether it fires. A licensed HVAC tech can open it up and check the heat exchanger. SwiftPro’s second opinion is free.
Can I ask the seller for a credit for an old furnace?
You can ask, and a written finding with a price from a licensed HVAC company gives you a much stronger case than a line in an inspection report.
How long does a furnace last?
Fifteen to twenty years is common in Northern Virginia, but care matters more than age. A cracked heat exchanger is what really ends one.
What does a second opinion cost?
Nothing. You don’t owe us anything for looking. If you want our price on the work, we give it to you.
Book the $67 heating check, the $199 dryer vent cleaning, the $99 water heater flush or the $99 drain clearing from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer and free MOLTN cookies come with the visit.
