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In Pickering, Ontario, near the often-fluctuating temperatures of Lake Ontario, Rex Rebellon decided it was time for an upgrade. His old furnace was inefficient, noisy, and costly. While attending a local trade show, he was impressed with many of the features of the Navien NPF Series Hydro-furnace. “The space savings was important, definitely,” Rebellon said. “The efficiency is almost as good as any high-efficiency gas furnace. It can also modulate. High-efficiency furnace are two stages. This is fully modulating, so that was really a plus for me.”
The NPF hydro-furnace features a stainless-steel combustion heat exchanger, condensing technology, and a high-efficiency variable capacity blower and modulating gas burner, allowing the NPF to operate from 15-100% capacity for both natural gas and propane applications.
“You don’t always need high fire, low fire,” he continued. “Sometimes in swing seasons like spring or fall, you don't really need it. You need heat, but you don't really need that much of a BTU output. So that definitely uses less gas.”
Rebellon worked with Brandon Farr of Farr Mechanical to replace his old gas furnace. Farr is an experienced HVAC professional who has been working in the business since he was a boy, helping his father on jobsites. “I've been doing this since I was around eight years old, helping my father clean up and move tools and materials around,” said Farr. “And eventually, I took a big liking to it, and I pursued it as my career.”
He’s also no stranger to Navien. Over the years, he’s installed hundreds of Navien products in the Greater Toronto area. “Farr Mechanical's been around for about three years, and we've been working with Navien much longer than that. In fact, one of my first installations ever was a Navien boiler — an NCB-240. And since then, we've installed hundreds of Navien products.”
“We've had a lot of good success primarily with the NPE series water heaters — those are our go-to for tankless across the board,” Farr continued. “You're getting a good recovery rate through them. We've got 200-plus NPEs out in the field right now. And I don't get callbacks, which is a nice thing for me as a business owner.”
Farr explains some of the other reasons why he’s had so much success with the company. “Dealing with Navien is always a pleasurable thing,” he said. “Tech support is always super easy to get a hold of. Any time of the day, I'm going to get someone knowledgeable on the phone, to walk you through something as simple as a startup or a setup or some parameter settings, making sure something's dialed in correctly. If you have a question, it's always easy to get them on the line.”
“There's also a lot of support from the wholesalers, meaning that parts are stocked. And if they're not stocked, they're directly shipped within a day or two.”
Installation Flexibility: A Seamless Transition
Farr noted that the NPF hydro-furnace is a perfect fit for most retrofit applications, where existing setups can vary widely. “With the NPF, you can tell that they've actually looked at retrofit situations. They've made it so it's pretty flexible,” he explained. “The unit’s design allows for ambidextrous installation, meaning that everything that comes out the left, you can take out the right. There's lots of conversion kits included, there's lots of space to work in there. Everything's neatly organized and labeled.”
The unit’s user-friendly EZ-Nav control panel and Setup Wizard also make setup fast and simple. “We walk through the setup wizard, and it really labels everything for you,” he said. “It gives you the opportunity to check your static pressures; it gives you the opportunity to set your fan speeds and set your temperatures for your heating modes. Cooling is super easy. You're not adjusting any dip switches like you would with most air handlers. It's right on the board. And it asks you ‘What size air conditioner do you have? One and a half ton? Two ton?’ And you just select it.”
“Top-to-bottom, you could easily install these replacements in four hours, no problem,” he added.
[Related educational materials: Hydronic Air Handler vs Hydro-Furnace, Different Types of Hydronic Heating, Benefits of our NPF Hydro Furnace for AC]
A Smart Choice for Home Heating: Energy Efficiency and Quiet Operation
In addition to the high-efficiency variable speed inducer and modulating gas burner that Rebellon noted, the system also boasts a high-efficiency variable-speed blower motor, which enhances performance while reducing energy consumption and sound. “Even with the doors off, I can barely hear it,” he remarked, contrasting it with his older, much louder furnace.
The NPF hydro-furnace’s 97% AFUE rating means it’s significantly more efficient than older models, translating to lower energy bills for homeowners. The efficiency, combined with its quiet operation, makes it an attractive option for modern homes. “You don’t want to be selling your clients something that’s not reliable,” Farr said, emphasizing the importance of quality and dependability in HVAC solutions.
The Navien NPF hydro-furnace has proven to be an excellent upgrade for Rebellon’s home, providing improved comfort, reduced energy costs, and a quieter operation. For HVAC professionals like Farr, it represents a reliable, efficient option that simplifies the installation process and minimizes callbacks.
With its advanced features and ease-of-use, the Navien NPF hydro-furnace is a smart choice for homeowners and installers alike. “There’s no reason not to be installing these furnaces,” Farr concluded. “Today, we pulled out what you would typically replace with another like-for-like model, and Navien is right in that running for a selection of choices for your next retrofit project.”