January through March is the busiest time for furnaces. How will yours perform? Is it time to consider replacement? What are the signs to look for when determining if it's time for a new one?
Let's look at the most common qualifications for replacement:
1. Age. Like anything, your furnace won't last forever. Most furnaces today should last around 20 years. If your furnace has reached the age of 15 you should start to think about replacing it. Regular maintenance such as cleaning dirty filters, checking for proper air flow and using programmable thermostats are a great way to increase the lifespan of your home furnace.
2. High energy bills. Older furnaces need to work sometimes twice as hard to heat your home. In turn, energy bills rise and you end up forking over extra money for repairs. You will come out ahead financially when you purchase furnace with a higher efficiency rating, even when there aren't any noticeable repairs that need to be made at the moment.
3. Temperature fluctuation; one or more rooms colder than the rest of the house. Your furnace will work harder as it gets older, it will also have a harder time distributing heat evenly throughout your home.
4. Soot around heat vents. Your furnace has ventilation ducts that can be opened and closed. The dampers that control the airflow can sometimes have an accumulation of soot around them. This means your furnace is emitting too much CO2. This makes it harder to keep your home clean and can cause excess dryness in the air which leads to dry eyes, itchy throats and respiratory issues.
If any of these apply to your furnace, you should consider replacement. Contact Solaire Home Comfort for a free in-home consultation today!