Furnaces can last a good long time, as long as you conduct regular maintenance on them. There comes a point, however, when all heating systems need replacing. Let’s take a look at when you should replace your furnace, instead of repairing it.
When it’s Old Enough
The easiest way to tell if your furnace is ready to be replaced is to look at its age. Most furnaces last between 15 and 20 years with regular maintenance and normal usage. As such, if your furnace is over 15 years old you may want to consider replacing it with a new system. Of course, if your furnace appears to be working fine then there is little reason to do so. However, when taken along with our other signs, this one is a good indicator.
When it needs Repairs more Often
As your furnace gets older, the individual parts that make up the system will start to wear out. This isn’t an indication that your furnace needs replacing all by itself. Sometimes parts wear out or break for other reasons. When a furnace gets old enough, however, multiple parts will start failing in rapid succession. This is because the parts wear down at different rates. One or two parts breaking every other year is to be expected. Multiple parts breaking within a few months of each other is a good sign that the system as a whole is worn out.
When Your Heating Bills go up consistently
You should expect your heating bills to fluctuate a little from month to month. You utilize your furnace for different lengths of time each month, after all. However, you should pay close attention to whether your heating bill is consistently rising or staying at a higher rate than normal. This is a sign that your furnace isn’t running as well as it should be, and is having to work harder to compensate. This is often caused by all the wear and tear that builds up on older furnaces.
If you think your furnace needs to be replaced, call Comfort Flow Heating. Our technicians replace furnaces throughout the Eugene area.
