If you think that you might need a new furnace, now is a great time to make that decision. If you wait until the middle of winter, you may face an emergency scenario in which your existing heater stops working and you have to make a repair or replacement decision quickly. If it is time to replace your furnace, don’t put it off.
Whether you need installation or furnace repair in Duvall, WA, our team is here to help. You can give us a call to schedule your in-home assessment where we can help you decide whether to repair or replace your furnace. Keep reading to learn more about how to decide when is the right time to invest in a new furnace.
Lack of Heating
If your heater had problems last year, you may have forgotten about them over the spring and summer. But now that you are getting ready to turn your heater on again, you may be remembering last year’s struggles. One common reason that we get calls for service is that heaters lose their effectiveness.
They may still turn on and operate and go through the motions of heating, but instead of producing hot air, the air is lukewarm at best. If your home is still relatively comfortable, it’s easy to ignore this problem and think it’s not a big deal. But there is a good chance that the problem will get worse instead of better. Your heater doesn’t always have to have obvious signs that something is wrong, like unusual noises or bad odors.
Heater Age
On average, a residential heater will last between 15 and 30 years. This is a wide range, and a lot depends on the type of heater you have and how well you care for it. But the older your heater gets, the more likely it is that you will need to replace it in the near future.
If your heater is up in age, it may be time to replace it with a newer model. Even if nothing is specifically wrong, heaters that are decades old are less efficient than newer heaters. You may be spending a lot more on your monthly energy costs than you would if you installed a new and more energy efficient unit.
Frequent Repairs
You may also need to consider replacing your heater this year if you have faced an increase in repair needs over the last couple of years. A heater will see an uptick in repair needs during the last couple years of its lifespan. If you’ve called for frequent service appointments, it’s time to replace your heater.
You also want to consider repair costs. We recommend that you never spend more than 50% of the cost of a new heater on any repairs. If you can add up repair bills from the last couple of years and have spent thousands of dollars on your heater, it’s time to stop putting money into it. Your heater is likely reaching the end of its life, and repair expenses may not be worth their price. Instead, you could put that money into a brand new heater with a long lifespan ahead of it.
The WSB HVAC team is connecting you to comfort. Schedule an appointment today for furnace replacement.