The furnace is the true workhorse of heating across North America: gas furnaces and electric furnaces are the heating systems most commonly found in residential buildings, and that isn’t likely to change soon, even with the growing popularity of heat pumps.
Because furnaces are so common, it’s easy for people to think that the furnace in their home will just keep running forever. Of course, no furnace is immortal, and it’s important to know when you need to replace yours.
Why can’t I just wait for the furnace to fail?
You could do this, but we don’t recommend it. An aging furnace will experience numerous malfunctions, waste energy, work at lower capacity, and even develop safety hazards. You also don’t want to find yourself trapped with a completely broken furnace in the middle of winter. Our team can work fast to complete a furnace replacement in Ellensburg, WA so your family has heat again, but it’s much better to plan the replacement on your time, rather than the furnace’s.
How can I tell it’s time to replace the furnace?
First, consider the age of the furnace. You may have heard about furnaces that lasted for more than 30 years, but that was for much older furnace models that traded off their safety and efficiency for longevity. A modern gas furnace will work for around 15 years and an electric furnace for 20. Life expectancy will drop if the furnace hasn’t received regular maintenance. We don’t recommend trying to push a furnace far past its estimated service life.
Dropping energy efficiency is a major sign that a furnace is in a decline. When a furnace has routine maintenance each year, it will retain around 95% of its energy efficiency until its last one or two years. So if you start to notice your heating bills are climbing and you have an older furnace, it usually means the furnace is ready to retire.
Keep a close watch on repair frequency and cost. The older the furnace gets, the more often it will need repairs, and the repairs are likely to be more expensive. You shouldn’t need to have the furnace repaired every year, and twice a year is a good reason to immediately get a new furnace. We also don’t advise paying for a repair that’s more than half the cost of getting a new furnace.
If you start to notice uneven heating in your home, that’s an indication the furnace is losing its heating capacity. For a newer furnace, repairs can often fix this—but with an older furnace, it’s often a major warning that the furnace is coming closer to failing.
Finally, if your aging furnace has created any type of safety issue, such as causing your carbon monoxide detectors to go off, it’s best to be cautious and replace the furnace rather than try to squeeze a bit more life out of it.
Contact us for furnace replacement assistance
Not sure if it’s time for a new furnace? No problem: reach out to our team today and we can help you make the best decision for your home’s future comfort.
Call ThermAll Heating & Cooling, Inc: We are “Your Home Comfort Hero!”