Repair or Replace Your Furnace? The Facts to Consider in Making a Decision

50As a homeowner, you understand the need to do maintenance work on the infrastructure of your home: a fresh paint job every few years, or repairing or replacing your roof are a couple of examples of what it takes to maintain the value of your home in anticipation of the day when you may sell it. Repairing or replacing your HVAC system is another area of concern in maintaining your home and its contents in A-one shape. At some point in time you will need to decide on whether you can continue to make repairs on your heating system to keep it operating longer, or is it time to invest in a new HVAC system, whether it be a new furnace or air conditioner. In this blog we will talk about how to decide to repair, or replace your HVAC heating system.

Your Furnace’s Age

Let’s consider how old your heating system is. The lifespan of a furnace varies, according to which HVAC experts you ask. Some say you can expect your furnace to last 10 to 15 years, while others estimate the lifespan to be 15 to 20 years. If your furnace is at least 10 years or older you may need to start repairing it more often.Here’s another way to look at it. Replacement of your heating system might be in order if it has exceeded 75% of its lifespan. Which means if your heating system has aged 15 years and you need to spend $750 for a repair it’s not worth it. Better to update to a new model and cash in on the savings you’ll experience with tax credits, rebates, and lower energy bills. Go for broke and don’t be content with a model that has 80% energy-efficiency; buy a model with 95% energy-efficiency. It only makes sense when you realize a model that has almost 100% energy-efficiency is going to pay you dividends in spades. But it’s up to you to decide; we’re only putting out information to help you decide if repair or replacement is better, depending on the age of your system.

Old Technology vs. New Technology

Another consideration on whether you should repair or replace is outmoded technology. Older-model technology can’t offer the kind of efficiency and savings on your energy bills newer HVAC models can, plus newer models come with the most advanced features to make the heating system’s operation easier and more convenient.

Expense to Repair

Consumer Reports puts out guidelines that say–among other considerations–that when repairs are costing you more than 50% of the expense of a new heating system, it is about the savings to you in the long run that makes it wiser to invest in a new heating system. Besides new heating systems arrive with a warranty to protect you against spending money on repairs if there are any problems while the heating system is under warranty.

Municipal, State, and Federal Tax Credits

In purchasing a new heating system you can save even more because you’ll be eligible to receive local and state tax credits. Even a federal tax credit is available, depending on the model you choose. These incentives could add up to as much as 30% of the purchase price of your new higher-efficiency heating system. Factor in savings of 20% to 40% on energy costs, and you can begin to see it’s a no-brainer.Here’s another piece of information to chew on. If your old heating system dates from the 1970’s its efficiency rating is around 65%. With current heating system models the efficiency rating jumps to 97%. At this high rate of energy-efficiency that will lower your energy bills significantly; the new heating system will pay for itself over time.

Power Company Rebates

There are more savings to be had if your local utility company offers a rebate for buying an energy-efficient heating system. And when you purchase a newer, more efficient model you’ll save on your monthly power bills.

Environment and its Impact

If you want to leave less of a carbon footprint it’s wise to upgrade to an Energy-Star-certified heating system that meets, or goes beyond federal regulations on what constitutes energy-efficiency. A fact you should know about: HVAC systems (both heating and cooling) make up approximately 50% of the energy use in your home.In an effort to try and stop the depletion of the ozone layer the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency has authorized phasing out R-22 refrigerant by the year 2020. Buying an R0410A heating system will support the environment as well as help you not spend more money on repairing your old heating system. As R-22 refrigerant becomes less available due to the phase-out it will be more expensive to buy.

System Performance

If you’re having to repeatedly re-set the thermostat to remain comfortable; rooms are heating unevenly; the heating system is becoming noisy with sounds like clattering or knocking, snapping or squeaking; or the blower either runs continuously, or repeatedly shuts off-and-on; it’s time to consider replacing your heating system. These symptoms are all signs of a heating system that hasn’t long to go before it expires.

Effects on Family Health

An aging heating system may start to show cracks. When this occurs toxic gas, known as carbon monoxide, can infiltrate your home, causing family members to experience nausea, dizziness, headaches and other symptoms flu-like in nature. An emergency such as this requires immediate action to save your family’s health. Throwing open all the windows and doors in your home and leaving the house is vital. Next, you must get the gas shut off by contacting either your fire department or utility company. This is where a service contract can come in handy, because you will be able to get an HVAC repair technician to your home immediately. A service contract usually contains a priority maintenance clause, which means service repair technicians are on-call to provide emergency service 24/7. Better to get the problem taken care of right away than to spend a night in an expensive motel room. Once at your home the HVAC repair technician can advise you whether your heating system only needs repair, or if now is the time to replace it.

Dry or Dusty Air

An older heating system is unable to freshen the air, or increase its moisture content to ensure the comfort of you and your family during the winter months. Symptoms of a malfunctioning heating system include a feeling of staleness or stuffiness in the air; the worsening of indoor allergies; or a feeling of dryness in your throat, nose, and on your skin. These indicators mean it’s likely the time to buy a new heating system. Other signs that mean you might need a new heating system are frequent buildup of dust; static shocks; plants that are unhealthy; creaking floorboards and furniture, or a piano that needs more frequent tuning.We hope this information has been helpful to you in making a decision on either repairing or replacing your HVAC heating system.

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How to Decide if Your Furnace Needs Repair Now or Later