Categories: Heating

Don’t Get Sentimental About Furnace Replacement!

“Comfort Bear, why are you clutching that furnace?” you may be asking. Well, you see, this furnace has been with me since the very beginning. And now, I’m suddenly being told that I have to replace it!

We’ve been through some intense winters together. In return, I vowed that I’d always be there for it: through all of its maintenance checks, through all of its repairs, every time it fails to start, even during that one time it triggered the carbon monoxide alarm.

Well, okay, maybe I’m being a bit sentimental. I guess it’s time to let go. When I think about it objectively, I suppose there are a lot of good reasons for knowing when to replace your furnace:

Put An End To High-Heating Bills

The efficiency rating of a furnace isn’t necessarily a guarantee—it’s simply an indicator of how good the furnace can run if it’s properly maintained and repaired. But when the furnace is too old, there’s really nothing that can be done to get it back to that level, and you’ll end up paying for it in monthly heating costs.

Fewer Repair Issues

Likewise, the cost of Independence, MO furnace repairs can be bundled into that figure. An older system will demand more repairs, so every maintenance check and repair cost will become unnecessary at a certain point.

Better Comfort

To top it all off, your furnace just won’t run like it should, making you aware of its dwindling performance. It might take longer to heat, it may begin heating unevenly, or you might find that it has issues with operation. Either way, you’ll be paying for it in expenses and in comfort.

So, When Is the Time To Replace?

There are a few tell-tale signs that it’s time to replace the furnace. While taking the above factors into consideration, you should start looking into replacement based on these factors:

Age: If your furnace has issues with any of the above-mentioned issues and it’s still younger than 10 years old, you should definitely make the effort to have it repaired or maintained. Any older and you should be looking into every repair and maintenance on a case-by-case basis. If the need for repairs arises once a year for two consecutive years, that alone is enough to have a professional inspection.
Cost Of A New Unit: When you really get down to it, it’s all about what’s most cost-effective. A simple calculation is to take the costs to maintain the furnace and check it again 50% of the cost of a new unit. If the costs exceed that 50%, then you’re better off with a replacement.
The Condition Of The Heat Exchanger: With every maintenance check, the condition of the heat exchanger should be monitored. It’s only natural that this component will begin to age and crack, and when it does, it can be very dangerous to operate. Combined with an old system, a cracked heat exchanger is more than a good enough reason to replace the unit.

If you need help replacing your furnace, contact Climate Control Heating and Cooling, Inc. Comfort & Care From the Team with the Bear.

Climate Control