Having to replace your furnace rarely sounds like an occasion for good news… But if you’ve been dealing with a furnace that hasn’t been heating the home properly; is becoming more and more expensive to run every month; or just looks old; then there are plenty of reasons to be excited about a new furnace.
A brand-new high-efficiency furnace can drastically reduce your heating bill and remind you what it feels like to have your home heated properly. But before getting too hasty, let’s make sure that your current furnace needs replacement. You can look for signs like:
Rising Heating Bill
It may not be the very first thing you notice, but it should be. Given that you’re using your furnace roughly the same amount every month, you can expect a steady and predictable heating bill. If that bill has been gradually rising and has never come back down, it’s likely a sign that your system can’t keep up with its efficiency standards anymore. You should take note especially if you’ve just gotten repairs or maintenance, as these services are meant to help raise efficiency.
Age of the Furnace
Depending on who you ask, the life expectancy of a furnace can land anywhere between 10 and 30 years. But realistically speaking, you can expect a solid 15 years at the least if your furnace is properly installed, maintained, and receives prompt repairs when required.
The point remains, however, that age is just an estimate. If your furnace starts displaying any of the other signs on this list by the time it turns 10, it very well could be time for replacement. Likewise, you might find that your heating bills are still relatively low several years after the furnace’s supposed expiration date.
If you’re ever unsure, you can always call an expert of HVAC services in Livingston, NJ.
More Frequent Repairs
As much info as there is about AC and furnace repair out there on the internet, needing repairs shouldn’t actually be commonplace in your home. You shouldn’t even need repairs on an annual basis as long as you’re keeping up with regular maintenance tune-ups.
If your furnace starts begging for repairs more and more often, it’s a sure sign that it’s just not able to keep up anymore.
Uneven Heating
If it feels like some of the rooms in your home have not been getting adequate heating, it might be a problem with the furnace.
If these rooms have historically been difficult to heat, then the problem could be with the insulation in that part of the home.
Rust, Cracks, or Other Signs of Deterioration
A few cosmetic scars don’t warrant a complete replacement of your furnace, but it can certainly indicate that it’s time to start researching new options.
You should also look inside the system to ensure that the heat exchanger doesn’t have cracks. This is not a cosmetic issue but is a very serious issue that can lead to a carbon monoxide leak if not inspected immediately. Often, it makes more sense to replace the system than to replace the heat exchanger.