Making sure that your furnace is fully operational is key to keeping utility costs low and comfort levels high. It feels good to know that your heater can keep your home warm all season, and with a little bit of planning, you can keep your heater going stronger than ever.
It isn’t possible to keep a furnace running forever. There will come a time in a heater’s life when it doesn’t perform at the level you need any longer. When it’s not running how you need it to, a replacement will make more sense than a heater repair.
There are a few ways to tell when it’s time to replace your furnace:
- Age: If the warranty is expired and your heater is more than a decade old, it is probably time for a replacement.
- Repair Frequency: If you’re doing two or three repairs on your system a year, you’re basically throwing money away. Some repairs will cost close to half the cost of a new system, and at that point it is better to invest in a high-efficiency replacement.
- Energy Bills: An old heater starts to lose its ability to perform efficiently after a while. An increase in energy bills is a good sign that your furnace is past its prime.
- Comfort: If your heater is having trouble keeping up with the changing temperatures and there is cold air exiting the supply registers, those are good signs of a pending furnace replacement.