With the heating season upon us, we advise you to take a closer look at your furnace. It’s important to be able to recognize when to replace a furnace, especially in the New York and New Jersey area. Geographically, we experience colder winters, and frankly we have plenty of older homes. So it’s important to note that a furnace needs to be in good shape in order to maintain a comfortable indoor environment. When a furnace is in bad shape or malfunctioning it can pose serious safety hazards, along with increased bills and uneven heating. Hence today we wanted to highlight some points that you should take into account when making the decision to replace or not.
The Age of Your Furnace
Typically, the lifespan of a furnace is between 15 to 20 years. If you’re in that range or older, it’s time to consider swapping your furnace for a new energy efficient model. The older something is, the more prone it is to breakdown.
Frequency of Repairs
Way back when we mentioned a $5,000 HVAC rule. It applies here as well. If the cost or repairs multiplied by the age of your system is greater than $5,000, it may be more cost effective to replace the system instead. It’s important to keep in mind that repairs add up. If you’re having to do them often, it’s one of the tell tale signs that you need a new furnace, as yours is more than likely on its last leg anyways.
Rising Energy Bills
If your bills are rising but your usage hasn’t changed, your system is telling you that something is off. In our case, it could mean that your furnace is losing efficiency. When something wears out, the unit as a whole has to use more energy to get the desired end result. Hence your temperature preference may not have changed, but the amount of energy required to produce that temperature, has.
Strange Noises
We’ve written on this topic in the past, and you can read all about the different noises you can hear from your HVAC here. Some noise is normal, but if you start noticing your system making noises that it wasn’t making before, do a double take. Unusual noises can often point to mechanical problems, and if not promptly addressed, they could lead to needing a system replacement.
Visible Wear
In this case, you should judge a book by its cover, at least a little. If your furnace has visible rust, cracks, or corrosion, it’s probably close to kicking the bucket. Plus, these kinds of wear can lead to safety hazards (hello carbon monoxide leaks) that we wouldn’t recommend exposing your home to.
Short Cycling
This is when the system is constantly turning on and off. You can even face this problem with newer units if they aren’t appropriate for your home. It’s important to select a system that isn’t too large or small for your space. If the wrong system is put in, it reduces efficiency and increases wear and tear, which is a fast track situation to needing a new unit.
Dust, Soot, and Poor Air Quality
If you open up your utility nook or closet and notice a whole lot of dust and soot despite cleaning there not long ago, it can indicate problems. This means that your system isn’t operating cleanly and in turn also affecting the quality of your air. If this problem doesn’t go away after a thorough cleaning, it’s best to think about upgrading to a new furnace in the not so distant future.
Final Thoughts
When you’re able to recognize that your system is struggling or failing all together, you’re able to take the appropriate action. Our goal is to keep you educated so your home stays comfortable as well as safe, year round. If you notice that something seems out of line, don’t hesitate to reach out and one of our expert technicians will be glad to swing by. Do keep in mind that should you be ready to replace your furnace, both NY and NJ offer incentives to ease the financial burden that may come with such an upgrade, we wrote about them here. If and when you’re ready to take the plunge, Green Ductors is your just a call away, 888-334-1612
