If the temperature outside is chilly, the condition of your home’s furnace is obviously fundamental to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you probably are wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are many factors that will help you resolve which option is best for you. Your Saint Charles area HVAC professional can help you judge your needs and your broken HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the best short- and long-term answer for your Saint Charles home.
When Repair Is Best
In most cases, furnace issues can be easily diagnosed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than ten years old — chances are very good that any issues it experiences can be solved through repair. On top of that, if your furnace is still heating your Saint Charles area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you confirm this), then it is still in your best interest to repair it. Usually, as long as you are not seeing a trending increase in your heating bills with regular usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is considered in good shape. Conventional wisdom about furnace repairs is that as long as the repairs you must get are less than one-third of the investment of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its anticipated lifetime, repair is likely your best option. Don’t forget that even if you are experiencing a reduction 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 Saint Charles home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could advance the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Golden Seal Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will ensure your furnace is in top condition and help you minimize further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
Eventually, repair cannot restore your heating system to a minimally effective level. The estimated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after this point, the heating system will start to fail more and more often. Thus, if your furnace is approaching or past 15 years old, it is time to discuss replacement. Regardless of the age of your furnace, if you need your HVAC service provider for repairs frequently, this could also be a sign that your heating system is failing and needs to be replaced. Although repairs may seem like a basic fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace running for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges can add up quickly and cost you more in the long run. There are many things that may determine whether replacement is best for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. Having your furnace installed properly is critical to the performance of the unit. Furthermore, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized according to specs for your Saint Charles home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you should consider replacing the system and starting anew, rather than continually addressing breakdowns and poor function.
If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Saint Charles home’s heating system is right for you, contact Golden Seal Service Experts today.