When its cold outside, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you may be wondering whether it makes sense to repair or replace your furnace. There are several factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Champaign area HVAC technician can help you assess your needs and your broken HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the appropriate short- and long-term answer for your Champaign 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 — it stands a very good chance that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. Furthermore, if your furnace is still heating your Champaign area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you verify this), then it is still likely and more affordable to repair it. Usually, 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 functioning efficiently. A good general rule of thumb regarding furnace repairs is that as long as 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 expected lifetime, repair is likely your best decision. Remember 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 service advisor about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Champaign home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could improve the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Chief/Bauer Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will ensure your furnace is in top condition and help you avoid further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair is not your best option to restore your furnace to optimal function. The estimated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; thereafter, the heating system will begin to fail more and more often. Accordingly, if your furnace is approaching or past 15 years old, it is time to discuss replacement. Beyond the factor of the age of your equipment, if you require 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 basic 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 many 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. In addition, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized properly for your Champaign home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you might want to buy the correct unit versus trying to get the wrong unit to perform beyond it’s capacity.
If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Champaign home’s heating system is right for you, contact Chief/Bauer Service Experts today.