As we move further into the coldest months of the year, it’s a good idea to make sure that your furnace is able to keep you warm through another winter. If it isn’t, you should get it replaced as soon as possible. It’s not pleasant to spend a week or more without heat while you look for a new heating system in the middle of December, after all. So let’s take a look at some of the common signs that your furnace needs replacing.
Efficiency
Over years of normal use, your furnace continually accumulates wear and tear on the various parts of its system. Eventually, that wear and tear will cause a steady decline in the efficiency of the system towards the end of its life. As the furnace struggles to keep heating your home properly, it will have to stay on for longer periods of time. This is reflected in higher and higher heating bills. If your furnace is costing more and more money to operate, it’s time to replace it.
Repairs
Normally, you shouldn’t need to repair your furnace more than once or twice every couple of years. In a failing furnace, though, many of the parts are so worn out that they will start to fail in rapid succession. If you have to have your furnace repaired every couple of months, it means that you need to replace it.
Age
Once a furnace gets older than 20 years, it starts to develop more and more problems like those listed above. Sure, you could keep the system alive for much longer than two decades, but the cost of doing so would far outweigh the cost of getting a new furnace. If your furnace is older than 20 years, you should replace it.
