Is It Time to Replace My Furnace?

Every furnace has a finite lifespan. Even the best and most well-built furnace will eventually give out and go belly-up after a certain amount of time. How long will that be? Well, there’s no way to say for certain. Depending on how often you run your furnace, the conditions it runs in, and how well you take care of it, your furnace can last for decades to as little as just a few years. However, with general residential use, the average furnace will last around 10 to 15 years. Some will last significantly longer, while others may need replacement in as little as eight years in extreme cases.

If you know your furnace is getting up there in age, you may be starting to wonder if the time may be coming where you have to replace your own furnace. This would be a good thing to start thinking about: furnace replacements are a big service, so planning well in advance can help you prepare for the cost and make sure you’re ready to get the job done when you need it. You may also want to consider replacing your furnace early, preventing the problem of a completely dead unit that strands you without heat for any given amount of time.

How can you plan for this? The easiest way is to simply pay attention to your unit and look for the signs that a replacement may be necessary really soon. Here are a few of the easy to spot ones that should prompt you to reach out to a heating and cooling professional for urgent services.

Repeated or Frequent Repairs

Do you find you need frequent repairs for your furnace? Is it giving out once or even twice a year, causing you to have to call up a pro who can get it working again? These are signs that your furnace is really starting to wear out with age and that you may want to consider a replacement soon. Frequent repairs can add up quickly—if the average cost of your repair is around $500, then it only takes two or three repairs to equal roughly the average cost of a down payment on a new furnace. At a certain point, it just becomes financially logical to do away with your old furnace that’s pulling more and more money out of your pocket and replace it with a newer, more dependable, and more efficient one.

Surging Energy Costs

Have your energy costs spiked recently with no real explanation? If nothing else has really changed about your home, the culprit could very well be your heating and cooling system. Older systems have significantly higher resistance, more air leaks, and in general take more energy to heat your home than a newer system. That alone could make the cost of a new system worth your while. With how much energy a new furnace could save you over the course of a few years, the upgrade could more than pay for itself in terms of savings on repair costs and excessive energy consumption.

Inconsistent Temperatures

Does it seem like your home isn’t as warm as it used to be even though your thermostat is still set properly? Are there cold spots or cold rooms in your home that were warm and inviting before but are now harsh or uncomfortable? The answer could very well be your furnace. With reduced capacity, your furnace is far more likely to only be able to heat what’s closest to it. That means you’ll enjoy warm spots in your home but rooms that are further away or take longer to reach via a twisted duct system may remain colder. And you won’t save any money by trying to close off vents in warm rooms to try and boost the heating elsewhere either.

Reduced Heating Capacity

Does your furnace turn on and then stay on for hours at a time in order to reach your target temperature? Does your system just never shut off simply because it can’t ever get your home warm enough to trigger the power down? Your furnace needs replaced. The longer you wait, the more you’ll spend on energy costs, and likely also in added wear and tear leading to expensive repairs. By replacing your furnace now, you’ll enjoy a warmer winter, reduced operating costs, and save yourself quite a bit of frustration.

If you need your furnace replaced, let the experts from Arco Home Services get it done for you. Give us a call at (216) 202-3778 today to request a furnace replacement consultation.