During the winter heating season, the condition of your home’s furnace is obviously fundamental to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you may be wondering whether it makes sense to repair or replace your furnace. There are several factors that will decide upon which option is best for you. Your Clearwater area HVAC service advisor can help you evaluate your needs and your broken HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the appropriate short- and long-term answer for your Clearwater home.
When Repair Is Best
In most cases, furnace issues can be easily pinpointed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than 10 years of system life — chances are very good that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. Additionally, if your furnace is still heating your Clearwater area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you determine this), then it is still probable that you will repair it. Usually, as long as you are not seeing a trending increase in your heating bills with constant usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is functioning efficiently. A good general rule of thumb about furnace repairs is that assuming the repairs you must get are less than one-third of the investment of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its anticipated lifetime, repair is likely your best option. Keep in mind that even if you are experiencing a reduction in heating efficiency, there are other avenues you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC technician about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Clearwater home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could boost the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Midway Services about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will add years of quality service from your furnace and help you minimize further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair cannot restore your heating system to a minimally effective level. The anticipated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; thereafter, the heating system will begin to fail more and more often. Therefore, if your furnace is nearing or passed the 15 year mark, it is time to consider replacement. Irregardless of equipment age, if you require your HVAC service provider for repairs on a regular basis, this could also be a sign that your furnace is beyond help and requires a replacement. Although repairs may seem like a simple fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace functioning for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges ultimately cost you more money. There are several things that may determine whether replacement is best for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. Installation means everything in terms of furnace effectiveness. Furthermore, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized correctly for your Clearwater home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you will probably need to consider a new unit instead of dealing with a heating system that lacks the capacity to properly heat your home.
If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Clearwater home’s heating system is right for you, contact Midway Services today.