We know that buying a new furnace may not be a priority in the immediate future, but it’s important to learn the keys that will likely influence your choice when you are ready to buy. Below are five important considerations that Sunbeam Service Experts advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Just like any appliance, as furnaces age, the probability of frequent heating repairs increase. If your furnace is over 15 years old, those repair can be especially expensive. More common and costly repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in Buffalo area homes today naturally influences your home energy bills, and the level of efficiency can vary tremendously depending upon the system you buy. Furnaces older than 15 years can be extremely inefficient, wasting up to 40% of the dollars you spend to heat your home. Even the latest models of furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A properly maintained furnace will function more efficiently, lower the likelihood of expensive repairs and most importantly ensure your safety. Remember, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point worth mentioning is a properly tuned furnace will last longer before replacement is necessary.
4. Tune-up Checks
Sunbeam Service Experts receives a lot of questions concerning what actually can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many essential checks and calibrations in the process:
- Gas Pressure and gas valve calibration
- Cleaning and checking safety switches
- Cleaning the heat exchanger
- Inspecting the heat exchanger for dangerous conditions
- Cleaning the blower system
- Cleaning and replacement of worn ignition sensors
- And many others...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A trained and certified HVAC specialist who has the insight, tools and expertise to perform a tune-up is needed to maintain heating equipment once a year. In short, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with old equipment are some of the more obvious indicators of a need to replace your furnace.
High energy costs and the desire to reduce energy consumption are also strong reasons to weigh the replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst stated that nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Buffalo area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Sunbeam Service Experts at 716-427-6807.