Replacing your furnace is one of those expenses every homeowner dreads. Unfortunately, in Louisville, KY, you can’t survive the winter without a good, working furnace so it’s a necessary expense. At some point furnace repair is going to cost you more than it’s worth and it will be time to consider a replacement. Here are some factors to consider:
1. Age – Typically a gas furnace lasts at most 15 years, more if you are extremely lucky. Your manufacturer should be able to tell you what the typically lifespan on your unit.
2. Too frequent costly repairs – “Frequent” is a term that’s open to each persons interpretation. If you are having to have your furnace repaired every year, or even worse more than once a year it’s time to think about taking the plunge. If any of those costs are more than half of what a new unit would cost, the repair isn’t worth it.
3. Energy costs – Regular maintenance on your furnace will help to retain its efficiency rating. If you are still doing maintenance on your unit, but you are noticing that your energy usage is increasing anyway, the unit may be at the end of its lifecycle.
4. Indoor air quality – If you are having to change your dirty air filter more and more frequently and notice that your home is dustier than normal then your furnace is aging.
5. Increased cold spots – If you are experiencing cold areas around the house then the furnace is losing its heating capacity and is no longer able to keep up with heating the whole home.