Winter is here, and the last you thing you want to do is come home to a cold home. The best thing you can do is to make sure your furnace in your house is working correctly. After all, you don’t want things going haywire and your home feels like it has been thrust back into the Ice Age. What are the indications your furnace unit needs replacement?
Here are a few ways you can find out for yourself
Furnace Lifespan
Chances are the home you purchased you are unsure how long the present furnace has been operating. For newer homes, it is easier to pinpoint when the furnace was installed. For a purchase home you can contact the manufacturer with the model number to find out the furnace year. If the unit has been operating for more than 15 years, it might be a good time to begin looking to replace the model. Most models in the market last approximately 20 to 30 years. It might be best to consider retiring the furnace when it gets close to being that old.
Telltale Signs
The age is a good giveaway for replacement. There are sometimes fairly new furnace units that may appear to have a few reasons to replace.
- The furnace needs frequent repairs.
- Energy bills are going up despite usage staying the same.
- Rooms in your house are heating unevenly, with some rooms hotter or colder than others.
- Furnace is cycling on and off more frequently than in the past.
- Seems your home is starting to show signs of humidity problems.
- There is excessive noise or develops rattles, buzzes, or hums coming from your furnace
- An excessive amount dust, soot, dirt or rust particles is spewing from your furnace
- If you see visible signs of rust in and around your furnace, or any of the components show cracks or corrosion.
If any of the listed above show up, it is best to call an Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) professional to check your furnace is operating properly. A visual should be done on checking fuel lines, connections, burners and heat exchangers.
Energy Efficiency
An HVAC professional will use a rating called AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) to find out the efficiency of your furnace. If the rating is below 80%, it is an indication it is time to upgrade to a more efficient model. A new Energy Star-qualified gas furnace is typically 15% more efficient than a conventional gas furnace. As well, an Energy Star-certified oil furnace is up to 4% more efficient than a baseline model.
Finances Available Purchase New Furnace
If your furnace is close to being replaced or is not operating efficiently Vision Plumbing Heating Cooling offers financial solutions. Financeit offers a flexible monthly payment plan in order to help make your next service more affordable. To learn more how to receive financing click here.
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