More often than not, heating systems are like unsung heroes in the home.
Quietly, without any recognition or praise, they faithfully pump out heat throughout Ohio’s coldest times of the year — keeping us warm, cozy and safe, one winter after another.
Although they are made to endure and last a long time, on a long enough timeline, the time eventually arrives in which problems arise. Knock on wood!
When that begins to happen, sooner or later, we are eventually faced with the decision of whether we should continue to repair our aging furnace, or replace it.
If you own a home and are faced with a decision like this, take a deep breath and relax. You’re in the right place.
We at Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating present the following to help guide you through this process:
Should I replace my furnace, or wait and continue to make repairs?
Although there is no silver bullet solution — no magic formula or crystal ball — to unequivocally tell us when we should replace questionable heating equipment, to cut our losses before our furnace becomes a money pit, the following considerations are what HVAC professionals look at to help make the best determination:
Age & Maintenance Record
The first things we look at when deciding the best time to replace a furnace are its age and maintenance record. The average lifespan of most heating equipment in use today is between 15 and 20 years. Because this is based on averages that vary from furnace to furnace, we also look at the unit’s maintenance record because seasonal maintenance dramatically increases the lifespan of the unit. In any event, whenever heating equipment is within this age range or older, it is wise to plan ahead to prepare it for replacement. Other factors influencing a furnace’s lifespan include how well it was installed, whether it was installed professionally, and how well repairs have been made.
System Performance & Heating Costs
After considering the system’s age and maintenance record, next you’ll want to evaluate its overall performance level, its efficiency, and your heating cost trends over time. Have you grown accustomed to paying too much to heat your home? You might be surprised by how much you can save and how much furnace technology has improved since you had your furnace installed. Because our newer furnaces are so much more efficient, installing a new one is almost certain to significantly reduce your home heating costs. Keep in mind that when heating costs go up it’s usually because the system isn’t performing the way it should.
Repair Costs & Frequency of Repairs
In addition to your furnace’s age and your heating costs, you also need to look at the frequency of repairs and their associated costs. Has the necessity for repair work increased? If not, or if the repairs have been minor and inexpensive solutions that are long lasting, you are in good shape there.
However, if repairs have been a regular recurring thing — if they’ve been expensive repairs also — opting for the new system is more likely the right move. This is even more so the case if the repairs you’ve had to make are considered relatively temporary, or short-term solutions.
Fast Formulas
ManyHVAC experts suggest using the following repair cost formulas to guide this decision making process:
First you take the number of years the furnace has been in use and you multiply that by the cost of the repair needed. Next you use that number and compare it to the price of a new furnace.
If the first number is more than the quoted costs of replacement, they suggest getting the new system.
Furthermore, you can also compare the cost of the repair needed to the cost of a new furnace. If your repair costs are more than one-third the cost of replacement, they also suggest having the new system installed.
Consider Home Comfort
Although this is our last consideration, it is definitely not least. Home comfort levels should always be taken into consideration anytime a homeowner is trying to decide to replace any sort of HVAC equipment.
If your heating source has problems sustaining comfort levels, or sustaining your desired temperature setting, there’s a problem. If you’ve been dealing with home comfort issues, if your home is subject to having hot and cold zones, give us a call! We would be more than happy to send you one of our highly-skilled HVAC technicians to help Utilizing cutting-edge HVAC tools and technology, one of our team members can perform in-depth, advanced diagnostic tests on your furnace and provide you with a detailed and accurate assessment of the problem and recommend solutions. The men and women we hire as technicians are highly screened and highly vetted employees of our growing company. We have the absolute best men and women available in the HVAC industry. They are trained in-house extensively in ways that go above and beyond state requirements. They are absolutely committed to each and every customer’s needs and always offer completely honest evaluations along with a variety of options to choose from as solutions. As our customer, your home comfort and air quality concerns are our top priority. Our team members speak candidly with you, in a friendly way, about all your home heating system options. They will kindly answer any questions that might arise to help guide you in this sometimes difficult decision making process.
In the end, no matter what course of action you choose to take, we always have your back 100 percent. Additionally, we guarantee your satisfaction as our customer 100 percent.
Call us for home heating solutions you can trust!
At Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating, it’s our mission to offer residents throughout Franklin County and all of Central Ohio, the most affordable HVAC solutions in the market — always using the highest quality products available in the home heating industry with a level of service that is unmatched. Regardless of whether you are leaning towards furnace replacement or whether you are only looking to make repairs, we are always committed to you, the customer. We are more than happy to come to your residence and help you out. Your needs and concerns are our top priority.
To schedule an appointment, get a free estimate, learn more or to speak with an expert, give us a call today at 614-810-0075. For your added convenience, you can also click here to schedule an appointment now online!
In the meantime, from our family to yours — Happy New Year!
