As a homeowner, you are likely already aware of the fact that you do have to replace your furnace at some point. You are probably also aware of how ongoing maintenance and repairs can help you to defer replacement costs as long as possible. The question is when is the right time, financially and operationally, to replace your furnace?
There are some definite trouble signs that show that your furnace is on its way out. If it’s rusted or leaking, that isn’t a good sign. If you hear banging noises, if you have cold spots in your home, if there is cool air blowing out of the registers or if you notice more dust than usual, your furnace likely needs to replaced.
Our Lees Summit, MO team of experts has put together a list of other possible symptoms that show it is time to replace the furnace.
Heating Bills Creeping Up
Is opening up the heating bills always stressful, because you aren’t sure how much higher it can climb every month? Heat is expensive, if your furnace isn’t operationally efficient, because of age or because parts of it are broken.
Even factors like design, your heating bills will continue to rise, no matter what you do about it. The only answer here is to replace it.
One other reason that your heating bills might be rising is if your furnace is too small for your home. It is important to replace it with the proper size so that it doesn’t have to work as hard to do the same job.
Frequent Repairs
As a furnace age, you will need more and more repairs for wear and tear. However, when those repairs get more serious and when they begin to add up in cost and happen more frequently, that is usually an indication that you need a new furnace.
17 Years Old or More
Furnaces typically have an age range from 10-15 years, depending on the make and model. You may get lucky and have your furnace extend beyond that time frame if you’ve been good about maintaining it.
However, once it gets older than about 17 years, it really needs to be replaced. If you’ve got an older furnace, you should think about replacing it, simply so you can benefit from the cost savings of high-efficiency furnaces, which have improved a lot just over the last few years. Did you know that getting a regular tune-up and replacing your air filter regularly can improve your indoor air quality and save money on your energy bills?
