When its cold outside, the condition of your home’s furnace is obviously fundamental to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you may be wondering whether it makes sense to repair or replace your furnace. There are several factors that will help you resolve which option is best for you. Your Calgary area HVAC technician can help you evaluate your needs and your struggling HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the best short- and long-term answer for your Calgary home.
When Repair Is Best
In most cases, furnace troubles can be easily pinpointed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than 10 years of system life — chances are very good that any issues it experiences can be solved through repair. Additionally, if your furnace is still heating your Calgary area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you verify this), then it is still in your best interest to repair it. Typically, as long as you are not seeing a steady increase in your heating bills with regular usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is deemed operationally sound. Conventional wisdom about furnace repairs is that as long as the repairs you need are less than one-third of the investment 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 decrease in heating efficiency, there are other routes you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC professional about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Calgary home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these solutions could advance the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning 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
Sometimes, repair will not be able to affordably resolve your issues. The estimated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after this point, the heating system will begin to fail more and more often. Accordingly, if your furnace is nearing or passed the 15 year mark, it is time to discuss replacement. Regardless of the age of your furnace, if you need your HVAC service provider for repairs too often, this could also be a sign that your heating system is failing and needs to be replaced. Although repairs may seem like a simple fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace functioning for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges ultimately cost you more money. There are several 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. Also, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized according to specs for your Calgary 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 Calgary home’s heating system is right for you, contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today.