For most people, preventive maintenance and prompt repairs when necessary will be sufficient to keep their furnace in good condition throughout the winter season. For some, though, their current furnace is not going to be able to make it through the new few months. If your furnace is on its last legs, it’s a good idea to replace it now rather than waiting for it to fail completely. If you’re not sure whether or not your furnace will last you through the rest of the winter, have a look at the warning signs listed below.
Higher Than Normal Monthly Bills
You should always be keeping an eye on your monthly bills for things like your furnace, just in case they start to do anything strange. Like, for example, rise higher than might be accounted for by things like increased use. If your furnace is costing more to operate on a monthly basis than you feel it should, you might have a problem.
This can often happen as a furnace wears down, and begins to lose efficiency. As the efficiency of the furnace drops, it will be forced to operate for longer and longer periods of time in order to compensate for the loss. This will contribute to higher than normal monthly bills. Unfortunately, once a furnace reaches this stage it will only continue to degrade. You’ll be better off if you replace it as soon as possible.
Frequent Repair Issues
Furnace problems are not unheard of, certainly. In fact, if you have your furnace for any length of time you can pretty much expect to repair it once or twice over the course of its lifespan. You should start becoming concerned if your furnace needs to be repaired multiple times a year, though. That level of frequency in repair needs tends to indicate that parts of the system are beginning to fail in large groups. You can continue to repair the system over and over again if you want. At that point, though, you’re just spending a lot of money to replace the furnace a single part at a time. If you really want to save money, and probably a lot of frustration, in the long run, you should install an entirely new system.
It’s Older Than 10 Years
If your furnace is older than 10-15 years, you should definitely talk to a professional about whether or not you need to replace it. That’s the average useful lifespan for the furnace, which will start to develop problems like those listed above once it ages past that point. A professional furnace tech should be able to evaluate your old furnace, and tell you whether you can make it another couple of years with it or whether you should replace it as soon as possible.
Douglas Cooling & Heating offers comprehensive heating repairs and replacement services in Birmingham, AL. If you need to have your furnace replaced, contact us today to schedule an appointment. We can find the perfect furnace solution for your needs.
