During the winter heating season, the condition of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you probably are wondering whether it is ultimately more sensible to repair or replace your furnace. There are many factors that will decide upon which option is best for you. Your Windsor area HVAC service advisor can help you judge your needs and your current HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the best short- and long-term answer for your Windsor 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 — it stands a very good chance that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. Furthermore, if your furnace is still heating your Windsor area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you determine this), then it is still likely and more affordable to repair it. Typically, as long as you are not seeing a steady increase in your heating bills with regular usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is considered in good shape. A good general rule of thumb relating to furnace repairs is that as long as the repairs you require are less than one-third of the expense of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its predicted lifetime, repair is likely your best decision. Don’t forget 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 professional about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Windsor home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these solutions could improve the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will keep your furnace functioning its best 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 start to fail more and more often. Therefore, if your furnace is nearing or passed the 15 year mark, it is time to discuss replacement. Irregardless of equipment age, if you require your HVAC service provider for repairs frequently, this could also be a sign that your heating system is failing and needs to be replaced. Although repairs may seem like a simple fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace operating for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges can add up quickly and cost you more in the long run. There are several things that may determine whether replacement is ideal for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. A furnace is only as good as its installation, making proper installation essential. In addition, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized properly for your Windsor home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you might want to buy the correct unit versus trying to get the wrong unit to perform beyond it’s capacity.
If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Windsor home’s heating system is right for you, contact Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts today.