Just as your car is only as good as its engine, your home is only as good as its furnace. All homeowners need to be familiar with the basic operation and maintenance of their furnace so they can enjoy years of service. Familiarity will also help them recognize when it is time to replace a furnace. There is no worse feeling than waking up in the dead of winter to a home that has gone cold because of furnace failure.
Replace Furnace or Upgrade? 5 Reasons to Consider a Step Up
A lot can happen in two decades, which is the typical lifespan of a modern furnace. In two decades, new technologies are launched, become popular, and then fade from the public eye.
Consider how much different cell phones or the internet are now than they were five or ten years ago, and you will begin to understand how a modern furnace might differ from the one that’s heating your home. Every year there are advances in heating technology that can make your furnace safer, more efficient, more reliable, and more affordable.
Your home and neighborhood probably look much different today than they did when HVAC technicians installed your furnace. You should do your research and see what fuel sources are available today that might not have been available years ago. Your furnace represents a significant investment, and it’s important to decide on a new furnace based both on current trends and where you see the industry trending in your area over the next few years. Here are some other considerations to guide your decision-making.
Have There Been Any Changes to Your Home?
As you consider the best way to replace your furnace, it’s important to keep in mind how your home may have changed over the years. If you have expanded and added a significant number of rooms, it might be possible that your current furnace is no longer sufficient for properly heating your property. A furnace that is too small will wear down prior to achieving its full life expectancy and could leave you in a difficult situation.
Alternatively, if you have remodeled and improved your energy efficiency, you might now be in a position where you can install a smaller furnace. If your furnace is too large for your home, it will cycle on and off too quickly, which can also be detrimental to the unit’s long-term lifespan. External wraps and siding can also help to improve efficiency, which could have an effect on your heating needs. It’s important to listen to the recommendation of an HVAC technician as you decide how to replace your furnace.
Superior Energy Efficiency
Energy-efficient furnaces are better both for the environment and for your budget. One way that central heating technology has advanced is that modern furnaces are much more efficient than their predecessors. The result of installing an energy-efficient furnace is that a greater percentage of the fuel you purchase goes to heating your home with less being lost as waste or exhaust.
When you replace your furnace with a modern, efficient unit, you reduce your carbon footprint, and you spend less money for the same amount of heat. Many homeowners see a major reduction in their heating bill from the moment they first install an energy-efficient furnace. When you consider the monthly savings over the lifetime of the furnace, it’s easy to see that when you replace your furnace with an energy-efficient unit, the furnace will pay for itself over time.
Superior Safety Features
All homeowners should schedule an annual furnace maintenance appointment with a certified HVAC technician. Just like with your home’s electrical system, it is important that every component of your furnace be installed correctly and operating properly. Fuel lines need to be in good repair and inspected to ensure no dangerous leaks develop. It’s also important that your furnace’s exhaust system is inspected to make sure no toxic gases are being vented into your home.
Even if you have scheduled your regular furnace maintenance, the best way to ensure that all components of your furnace are operating properly is to install new components at the end of the operational lifetime. Replacing fuel lines, connections, and venting systems ensures that your furnace will be safe and operate without failure. Even if your furnace seems to be operating properly at the end of the manufacturer’s suggested lifetime, it’s important to replace your furnace for the safety and security of your family.
Fewer Repairs
Whether it is your car, your furnace, or anything that you own, there comes a time when the cost of repairing your existing unit becomes almost as expensive as purchasing a new one. Sometimes the choice to replace your furnace gets made for you based on the availability or cost of replacement parts.
Furnaces have lifespans that span decades, and replacement parts will remain available long after the manufacturer has moved on to an upgraded unit. When considering a new furnace, it’s important to consider how long that model has been in production. Sometimes it is possible to upgrade the components of your existing furnace and achieve superior energy efficiency and performance that way.
Components such as the blower are relatively easy to replace. Your HVAC technician can evaluate your existing furnace and help provide guidance as to the best course of action based on your home and situation. If you find that you have experienced regular furnace breakdowns, you will save yourself a significant amount of money, stress, and frustration when you replace your furnace.
Improve Resale Value
When it comes time to sell your home, one of the main deciding factors will be the quality of your furnace. If your home has an ancient furnace, many potential buyers will instantly strike your home from consideration even if they are in love with every other aspect of the property.
A modern furnace is just as important to the resale market as a good roof, as it indicates that the buyer will not have an additional cost of immediate property maintenance. As a homeowner, it makes a lot of sense to ensure your home has a good, reliable furnace.
Find The Right Furnace For Your Home
With the stresses and obligations of work and family, it’s easy to put off thinking about your furnace. However, if you don’t designate a few hours a year to furnace maintenance, you risk a failure that could put your home and family at risk. For most people, their home represents their largest single investment, and it always makes sense to schedule a yearly appointment to ensure your furnace is fit to heat your home adequately and reliably.
Changes in technology, home improvements, and the fuel options of your neighborhood are all factors to consider when it comes time to replace your furnace. When you do the research, you might discover that a modern, energy-efficient furnace will provide you with superior heating at tremendous savings to you in reduced fuel and repair costs. Contact Air Force Heating today to discuss your best options for replacing or upgrading your furnace.
