After years of operating faithfully and pumping out heat during Ohio’s coldest months of the year, there comes a point in every furnace’s life in which replacing the system is a better idea than paying for repairs.
Faced with repairing an older furnace model, homeowners are smart to ask themselves: Should I repair my furnace, or would it be better to replace it instead?
If you find yourself contemplating this complicated question (perhaps your heating costs are going up or your furnace isn’t performing as well as it used to), you can rest assured that you have found the right article.
Our team of highly-skilled HVAC technicians here at Lebanon Heating & Cooling presents the following information to help guide you through this complex decision:
Should I replace my furnace or continue making repairs?
Although no one has a magic formula to tell you exactly when you should have your furnace replaced instead of continuing to make repairs, there are a few factors that can help guide you in the right direction.
When making a decision like this, it’s important to consider the following:
The Furnace’s Age & Maintenance Record
Although the average lifespan of a gas furnace is usually between 15 and 20 years, these numbers vary from system to system. Whether or not a furnace has been maintained properly over the years by a professional is another important factor to take into consideration when considering this. That’s because regular maintenance has a significant and positive impact on the actual number of years a furnace will run in a productive way. Regardless, when your furnace gets to 15 to 20 years old or older, it’s wise to start to plan ahead and consider replacing it. Likewise, if it’s that old and you haven’t had consistent maintenance performed or if you aren’t sure, you should plan more seriously for replacement.
The System’s Performance and Efficiency
In addition to evaluating your heating equipment’s age and how well it’s been maintained each season, you should also take into account its overall performance and analyze your heating costs. Since you’ve had your system installed, furnace technology has advanced tremendously over the years. The models we sell and install today are far more efficient and built to last. In many cases, these newer, high-efficiency furnaces reduce home heating costs by up to half. Because of this and other factors, homeowners who are proactive and replace existing heating equipment before it’s too outdated end up saving money in the big picture. If your home heating costs seem to have gone up in recent years, it’s usually a sign the equipment isn’t performing as well as it should. In all likelihood, it’s probably going to get worse as time goes on. When you add the repair costs to the increasing heating costs and multiply that out over time, it’s easy to see why being proactive with HVAC equipment almost always pays off in the long run.
Repairs Expenses
Because furnaces end up requiring repairs more frequently at the end of their lifespan, the next thing you should take into consideration is how often you’ve had to make repairs and whether this has gotten worse over time.
If you haven’t had to make many repairs, or if repair costs aren’t expensive and they seem to be more permanent solutions, furnace replacement probably isn’t necessary just yet. On the flip side, however, if repairs have been a frequent thing and the costs seem high, it’s a good idea to begin planning to replace your furnace, especially if the repairs being made are more like temporary solutions to the problems.
Additionally, to make this decision even easier, some HVAC experts offer homeowners the following formula:
First you take the cost of the repair you need and multiply that number by the number of years you’ve had your furnace. Second, you compare the number you get from that with the cost of a new furnace. If the cost of a new furnace is less than the first number, they suggest replacing your furnace. Another rule of thumb is looking at the repair cost alone and comparing it to the cost of a new furnace. If the repair is one-third the cost of a new furnace, they suggest getting the new furnace.
Home Comfort Factor
It should go without saying that comfort is another crucial factor to consider anytime someone decides whether to replace an aging furnace or repair it. This goes for any HVAC equipment. As such, if the furnace struggles to keep up with the temperature level on the thermostat, or if there are certain parts of the home that are colder than others, this could be a warning sign of other problems on the horizon. If this is a problem, it’d be a really good idea to give us a call. We can send one of our highly-skilled HVAC technicians over to take a closer look at your furnace to perform diagnostics on all the equipment and give you a better, more accurate assessment of exactly what’s happening. The men and women we recruit as technicians are among the best in the industry. They’re highly-skilled, friendly and happy to come over to give you a completely honest evaluation while keeping your best interest, as our highly-valued customer, as our highest priority. They can advise you whether it’s better to repair your furnace or replace it without any hidden motive or sales pressure. And we always guarantee customer satisfaction 100 percent!
Worst case scenario, if they discover a crack in your heat exchanger, replacement is usually the recommendation because heat exchangers are one of the most expensive parts to replace. Furthermore, cracked heat exchangers are dangerous and can release carbon monoxide into the home. As always, safety should always come first when it comes to any sort of home heating equipment.
In Either Case, Repair or Replace, We are Happy to Help!
We at Lebanon Heating & Cooling make it our mission to offer the most affordable solutions to any and all HVAC-related problems around the clock, all year long, using the highest quality products and most superior level of service the industry has to offer Whether you are thinking about replacing your home heating system, or if you are only looking to have it repaired, we have honest, trustworthy HVAC technicians who are state certified and fully insured and they are always more than happy to come to your home and help you out, all the while keeping your best interest our highest priority as our deeply valued customer.
To schedule an appointment, request an estimate, speak with an expert, or have your furnace inspected by one of our team members, call us today at (513) 540-1773. You can also schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
As always, we look forward to hearing from you and helping you sustain superior comfort with peace of mind.
