During the winter heating season, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously fundamental to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you may be wondering whether it is ultimately more sensible to repair or replace your furnace. There are several factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Houston area HVAC service advisor can help you assess your needs and your struggling HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the ideal short- and long-term answer for your Houston home.
When Repair Is Best
Oftentimes, furnace problems can be easily identified and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., under ten years — chances are very good that any issues it has can be solved through repair. Furthermore, if your furnace is still heating your Houston area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you determine this), then it is still likely and more affordable to repair it. Typically, as long as you are not seeing a trending increase in your heating bills with regular usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is considered in good shape. Our recommendation regarding furnace repairs is that if the repairs you need are less than one-third of the expense of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its predicted lifetime, repair is likely your best decision. Keep in mind that even if you are experiencing a reduction in heating efficiency, there are other avenues you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC professional about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Houston home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could boost 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
Eventually, repair is not your best option to restore your furnace to optimal function. The expected lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after this point, the heating system will begin to fail more and more often. Therefore, if your furnace is already at least 15 years old, it is time to consider replacement. Irregardless of equipment age, if you’ve been calling your HVAC service provider for repairs frequently, this could also be a sign that it’s time to consider replacement. Although repairs may seem like a simple fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace running for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges can add up quickly and cost you more in the long run. There are several things that may determine whether replacement is appropriate for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. Having your furnace installed properly is critical to the performance of the unit. Also, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized correctly for your Houston home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you will probably need to consider a new unit instead of dealing with a heating system that lacks the capacity to properly heat your home.
If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Houston home’s heating system is right for you, contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today.