When Is The Right Time For A New Furnace?
You have poured money and time into keeping your older furnace working like new, but even the most carefully maintained equipment will eventually need to be replaced. But how do you know when it's time to replace your aging furnace with a new one?
There are many furnace warning signs to be aware of that can tell a homeowner when it's time to replace an older unit with a new furnace. These include:
Your furnace is using more fuel than it used to.
Even the best designed furnace will become less energy efficient over time. It will begin to consume more fuel, and as a consequence, it will cost you more money to heat your home and maintain your aging furnace.
Your furnace is making more noise than before.
The older a unit gets, even with consistent maintenance, the older the parts get, and the more often it has to start-up and cycle down. Once a furnace hits a point where it must work harder due to its age, it will start to make more noise during operation and when it fires up. Be sure to listen to what your furnace is trying to tell you.
You're noticing a lot more dust in your home.
This is an important and obvious sign that you may need a new heating system. Dust and dry air can directly affect the air quality in your home and the health of everyone living in it. A dramatic build up of dust or persistently dry air in the house could also be a sign something is wrong in your furnace's combustion chamber, its ignition motor, or your home's humidifier.
There is a significant build up of rust on the furnace.
Too much oxidation is one of the signs that you need a new furnace. If you spot rust on or around your furnace, it's likely to also be found on the inside of the unit. Rust causes problems in terms of how your furnace performs and subsequently the air quality in the house. Rust is also a sign of bad ventilation and problems with air humidity.
Some rooms in you home are warmer than others.
Uneven heating in a building is never a good sign. Your aging furnace could be unable to provide balanced heating throughout your home despite working harder and using more fuel. Your home's air ventilation shafts and ducts might require cleaning. Moreover, your home's insulation might be ineffective.
If your older furnace has one or more of the aforementioned signs, don't allow the situation to worsen, take action by calling a heating professional to visit your home and conduct a thorough inspection of your furnace and ventilation shafts. If it turns out you need a new furnace, be mindful that the investment you make in one now will save you money down the road, and ensure the value of your home doesn't decline.
