When its cold outside, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you might be wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are several factors that will help you resolve which option is best for you. Your Buffalo area HVAC professional can help you assess your needs and your current HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the best short- and long-term answer for your Buffalo home.
When Repair Is Best
Oftentimes, furnace problems can be easily sourced and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., under ten years — it stands a very good chance that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. Additionally, if your furnace is still heating your Buffalo area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you determine this), then it is still probable that you will repair it. Usually, as long as you are not seeing a continuous increase in your heating bills with continual usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is functioning efficiently. Conventional wisdom regarding furnace repairs is that if the repairs you must get are less than one-third of the cost of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its expected lifetime, repair is likely your best choice. Keep in mind that even if you are experiencing a drop in heating efficiency, there are other routes you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC service advisor about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Buffalo home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these enhancement could advance the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Sunbeam Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will keep your furnace functioning its best and help you minimize further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair will not be able to affordably resolve your issues. The anticipated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after which, the heating system will deteriorate and fail more and more often. Thus, if your furnace is approaching or past 15 years old, it is time to discuss replacement. Irregardless of equipment age, if you need your HVAC service provider for repairs too often, this could also be a sign that it’s time to consider replacement. Although repairs may seem like an easy fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace running for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges will add up and cost you way more than buying new. There are a variety of things that may determine whether replacement is ideal for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. Installation means everything in terms of furnace effectiveness. Furthermore, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized properly for your Buffalo 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 Buffalo home’s heating system is right for you, contact Sunbeam Service Experts today.