If serviced regularly and taken care of, you will enjoy plenty of longevity from a good furnace. This is great, because these ever-essential pieces of equipment certainly aren’t cheap, and replacing one costs a pretty penny to say the least.
Unless you’re an HVAC specialist, how do you know when your furnace should be repaired or when it needs a full-on replacement? Cozy Conditions technicians provide insight to let homeowners know when to expect service and when to expect to get a replacement done.
Carbon Monoxide Leak? Replace
The furnace contains carbon monoxide, a very hazardous gas, in a combustion chamber, which might crack over time or if outside trauma is introduced. Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, so it is difficult to recognize its presence.
Use carbon monoxide detectors in your home to alert you immediately to its presence, as overexposure to carbon monoxide is lethal. Other signs of a carbon monoxide leak include:
- Yellow furnace burner flame instead of blue
- Excess moisture on windows, walls and other surfaces
- Rusting on pipes
- Streaks of soot around the furnace
- Absence of upward draft in the chimney
- Feelings of nausea, disorientation, headaches and other flu-like symptoms
If the furnace is leaking carbon monoxide in any way, it cannot be repaired. Cozy Conditions will provide a replacement in situations like these.
How old is your furnace?
Nothing lasts forever. The United States Department of Energy estimates furnaces should last 15 to 30 years before its useful life expires, but a qualified technician may attest to seeing furnaces that lasted even beyond that.
With this in mind, the age of the equipment is not a hard and fast rule, and it will ultimately depend on how regularly the furnace was serviced preventatively and maintained over the years.
Nonetheless, start expecting to replace the furnace soon if it exceeds 15 years of age, and carefully consider if you are willing to invest in expensive repairs considering the equipment is approaching or beyond its expected useful life at that point.
Repairs Are Frequent and Expensive
If your furnace is creating a situation where something seems to go wrong every other day and the costs are adding up, it’s time to start shopping for a new one.
Cozy Conditions recommends looking at high quality furnace replacements that will work for your home and using this figure for the next repair or round of repairs. If any repair you plan is expected to cost close to half of the cost of a replacement furnace, cut your losses and have it replaced.
On the one hand, you will spend more upfront. On the other hand, you will eliminate a piece of equipment that is becoming a drain on your finances and raising serious issues regarding its reliability.It’s better to just get it done than to wait for even more repairs to be needed.
When In Doubt, Just Ask!
The best thing about the HVAC technicians at Cozy Conditions is that they’re honest. Sure, they’re well-versed in the industry and experienced, but it’s their honesty that shines during each service call.
If you are ever unsure, simply ask the specialist their opinion and they will tell it to you straight. If it’s preferred that you replace the equipment, they will assist, but if they have any confidence that the equipment could be repaired and still enjoy some useful life, they will communicate that as well.
Contact Cozy Conditions now and find out more today!