During the winter heating season, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you probably are wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are many factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Edmonton area HVAC technician can help you judge your needs and your struggling HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the ideal short- and long-term answer for your Edmonton home.
When Repair Is Best
Oftentimes, furnace troubles can be easily diagnosed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than ten years old — chances are very good that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. On top of that, if your furnace is still heating your Edmonton area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you confirm 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 considered in good shape. Our recommendation regarding furnace repairs is that if the repairs you require are less than one-third of the cost of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its expected lifetime, repair is likely your best option. Don’t forget that even if you are experiencing a reduction in heating efficiency, there are other paths you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC professional about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Edmonton home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could improve the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to McKinley Heating Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will ensure your furnace is in top condition and help you minimize 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 anticipated 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 discuss replacement. Beyond the factor of the age of your equipment, if you require your HVAC service provider for repairs too often, this could also be a sign that your furnace is beyond help and requires a replacement. Although repairs may seem like an easy fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace functioning for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges will add up and cost you way more than buying new. 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. Furthermore, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized according to specs for your Edmonton 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 Edmonton home’s heating system is right for you, contact McKinley Heating Service Experts today.