When its cold outside, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously vital to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace problems, you might be wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are multiple factors that will help you resolve which option is best for you. Your Columbus area HVAC professional can help you assess your needs and your current HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the best short- and long-term answer for your Columbus home.
When Repair Is Best
More often than not, furnace troubles 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 has can be solved through repair. Additionally, if your furnace is still heating your Columbus area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you determine this), then it is still probable that you will repair it. Commonly, as long as you are not seeing a continuous increase in your heating bills with regular usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is functioning efficiently. Conventional wisdom regarding furnace repairs is that assuming the repairs you need are less than one-third of the expense of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its expected lifetime, repair is likely your best choice. Don’t forget that even if you are experiencing a decrease in heating efficiency, there are other paths you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC service advisor about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Columbus home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could boost the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Stevenson Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will keep your furnace functioning its best and help you prevent further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair is not your best option to restore your furnace to optimal function. The anticipated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after this point, the heating system will deteriorate and 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 an easy fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace operating for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges ultimately cost you more money. There are many 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 correctly for your Columbus 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 Columbus home’s heating system is right for you, contact Stevenson Service Experts today.