Are you concerned that you may soon need to replace your old furnace? Knowing when it’s time to schedule a furnace replacement is key to ensuring your home always stays sufficiently warm. It also helps you avoid having to pay more than necessary to heat your house or potentially needing to pay extra for an emergency replacement. In this article, we’ll cover the main signs that can help you know if you should replace your furnace, and we’ll look at some of the factors to consider when selecting a new one.
1. Furnace Is 15 to 20 Years Old
How many years you can reasonably expect to get out of a furnace depends on several different factors, such as what type of furnace it is and whether it’s been properly maintained throughout its life. That said, even in a place like Galveston where your heating doesn’t run all that much, a gas furnace usually won’t last much more than 15 to 20 years. An electric furnace could continue working for 20 to 25 years. If you have a furnace that’s already this old, replacing it is a smart decision because the equipment could suddenly give out any day. Upgrading to a new furnace will also provide the benefit of lowering your heating costs since you can be fairly certain that the new unit will be more energy efficient than your old furnace.
2. Long Heating Cycles
The mild Galveston winters mean your furnace should rarely need to run longer than 15 to 20 minutes at a time. If your furnace’s heating cycles are frequently longer than this, it’s a good indication that the furnace isn’t heating effectively anymore. Ineffective heating can be a sign that you need to have your furnace serviced or repaired. However, if your furnace is already fairly old, it’s more likely to mean that the device just isn’t capable of producing sufficient heat anymore.
3. High Utility Bills
This sign goes hand-in-hand with the previous one since longer heating cycles equal greater energy consumption and higher heating costs. If your furnace is still heating effectively, the amount of gas or electricity it uses from one year to the next shouldn’t vary all that much. Of course, your heating costs will be higher if the winter is unusually cold, but increased energy usage during a normal winter is a red flag that your furnace can no longer operate at its peak.
4. Frequent Breakdowns
You can usually expect a furnace to develop issues that necessitate repairs over the course of its life, and this is especially true if it isn’t inspected and serviced every year. Nonetheless, frequent breakdowns and continual repair needs are often a symptom that the furnace isn’t working effectively and may soon give out. One of the main issues when a furnace isn’t working effectively and its heating cycles are longer is that it leads to all of the unit’s components experiencing more wear and tear. The increased wear can result in various components failing sooner and the furnace then either not turning on or performing even more poorly. While the majority of furnace issues are fixable, continually paying to repair an ailing furnace seldom makes sense. Instead, you’re better off putting all that money toward installing a new one.
5. Uneven Heating
This last one is a bit tricky since uneven heating can also occur for other reasons. For instance, leaky or poorly designed ductwork can lead to certain parts of the home not receiving sufficient heat and remaining cooler than the rest of the house. You can also end with cold spots if the furnace blower isn’t functioning properly or even just because the furnace filter is dirty and needs to be replaced. Nonetheless, uneven heating can also be a sign that your furnace is on its last legs and no longer puts out the volume of heat it should. Luckily, an experienced technician will be able to quickly diagnose the root of the problem and advise you on whether it’s time to install a new furnace.
What to Look for in a New Furnace
When installing a new furnace, the first thing you need to do is have a qualified technician perform what’s known as a heating load calculation. This calculation takes numerous factors into account to accurately determine how many BTUs of heat the furnace needs to produce to warm your house effectively and without using more energy than necessary. In other words, it determines what size of furnace will work best for your home. Installing a furnace that’s either too large or too small is a major waste of money. Not only will an oversized or undersized furnace cause your heating bills to be higher, but it will also have a shorter life span than a properly sized furnace would.
The next thing you need to decide is whether to install a gas or an electric furnace. If you currently have a gas furnace, installing a new gas unit is almost always the best option. Besides the fact that gas is usually more economical, you’d probably need to upgrade to a larger electrical panel in order to have enough power to run an electric furnace. If you already have an electric furnace, installing a new electric unit will be the less expensive option. The drawback is that it will result in your heating costs being quite a bit higher than they would be if you installed a gas furnace.
If you decide to opt for a gas furnace, you also want to take energy-efficiency ratings into consideration. A medium-efficiency conventional furnace is going to be cheaper than a high-efficiency condensing furnace. On the other hand, a condensing furnace will cost you less to run since it doesn’t waste as much energy as a conventional furnace. One other thing to note in terms of energy efficiency is that you can qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $600 if you choose to install an ENERGY STAR-certified condensing furnace.
The last thing you need to do is make sure you choose a furnace from a reputable manufacturer. You can find relatively inexpensive furnaces online or at many big box home improvement stores, but they are typically poorly made and more prone to breaking down or not lasting all that long. Reputable brands like Carrier, Rheem, and Trane produce much higher-quality furnaces that work better and last longer. You’ll also usually receive better warranty terms when you install a unit from a more trusted brand.
With 25 years of experience providing reliable heating and air conditioning services in the Galveston area, our team at George’s Air Conditioning can expertly handle your furnace replacement from start to finish. We carry a range of quality furnaces from trusted brands and will work with you to ensure you choose a unit that perfectly meets your home’s heating needs. We also offer financing options on approved credit so you can get the new furnace you need now without having to struggle to pay for everything up-front. We specialize in both residential and commercial HVAC and have what it takes to manage your repair and maintenance needs as well. If you need help determining if now is the right time to replace your furnace, contact us today to schedule an inspection and consultation.
