While the fall and winter seasons might be primetime for selling furnaces to homeowners, that doesn’t mean HVAC dealers should focus all their efforts on a single category. Far from it, in fact. 

The cooler months are a great time to bundle complementary equipment with furnaces, creating comprehensive solutions that deliver better overall value to buyers. As a homeowner opens their wallet on a big-ticket purchase like a brand-new furnace, it can be easier to upsell them on comparatively lower-priced products that help them get the most out of their new heating system. 

Here’s a quick look at some gear and equipment HVAC dealers might find that pair well with furnaces to create winterized HVAC bundles. 

Advanced humidifiers 

Indoor air can easily become excessively dry during winter. This can negatively impact homeowner comfort and cause various health issues, such as dry skin, sinuses, and nosebleeds. It can also lead to increased wear and tear on HVAC systems, as dry air can cause an accumulation of dust and debris across the system. 

Bundling furnaces with advanced humidifiers—bypass, power, or steam humidifiers—is a natural fit for many homeowners. The key is to tell the whole story of why humidifiers are so beneficial. 

Here are a few key points you can emphasize during sales calls: 

• Proper humidity reduces the risk of respiratory problems, dry skin, and irritation caused by dry indoor air during colder months.
• With the right humidity levels, you’ll feel warmer at lower temperatures, reducing the need to run the heating system as often and saving on energy bills.
• Maintaining appropriate humidity safeguards wooden furniture, flooring, and musical instruments from cracking and warping.

Smart vents 

In homes heated by furnaces, there can be a lot of wasted energy consumption. Rooms that are empty or little used get fully heated because, let’s face it, constantly opening and closing dampers on air vents around the house is a hard habit to keep up. 

That’s why smart vents are an excellent option for bundling with furnaces. They provide more advanced features than traditional vents, primarily for zonal heating, because they can intelligently direct airflow based on specific room requirements. 

When outlining the benefits of smart vents during calls with customers, here are a few things to focus on: 

• Many smart vents learn from your preferences and adjust automatically, eliminating the need for constant manual adjustments.
• By directing airflow only to rooms requiring it, smart vents can significantly reduce energy consumption, decreasing utility bills.
• Smart vents can reduce wear and tear on your HVAC system by preventing overuse in seldom-used areas.

Smart thermostats

Smart thermostats solve many of the same problems that smart vents solve but with additional features that give homeowners more control over their heating system. In the context of buying a new furnace, adding a smart thermostat is a relatively low-cost upsell but comes with a lot of added customization. 

Smart thermostats adapt to user behaviour, offer remote adjustments through smartphones or computers, and provide in-depth insights into energy consumption. Features like geofencing allow you to program the furnace to turn on and off based on how close residents are to home, ensuring that the heating is optimal when residents are home and conserving energy when they’re away. 

Here are a few selling points to focus on in sales calls: 

• Smart thermostats adjust heating and cooling dynamically, leading to substantial energy savings and reduced utility bills.
• Many models provide detailed insights into your energy consumption patterns, helping you make informed decisions about your usage. 
• They integrate with other smart home systems so you can create a more cohesive home automation setup.

Why bundling creates long-term value 

While furnaces remain a primary selling point during the colder months, bundling them with complementary equipment like advanced humidifiers, smart vents, and smart thermostats provides extra long-term value for homeowners. 

These additions enhance the efficiency and functionality of a new furnace and help prolong the life of HVAC systems by reducing wear and tear through unnecessary overuse. 

Find out how you can earn ECCO Rewards during our Fall Promotion.