Avoid Repeated Repair Costs
First, many homeowners invest in a new furnace when their old one begins to need regular repairs. Exactly how many repairs you should have made before you replace an old furnace is a personal decision, and there’s no one number that’s right in every situation. Most homeowners, though, prefer to pay for a reliable furnace rather than one that needs frequent repair work.
If you decide now is the time to change out your old furnace for a new one, look for one that has an extensive warranty period. Try to find a warranty that goes beyond just two years, and check to see whether it covers both parts and labor. Even if you have to pay extra for extended warranty coverage, the additional cost may be worth the peace of mind that it provides.
While warranties are beneficial to all homeowners who purchase new furnaces, they’re especially important if you’re replacing a furnace due to repair issues. If this is the main impetus for decommissioning your old furnace, you don’t want to worry about repairs on your new one for a long time. A long warranty that offers good coverage will make sure you don’t need to.
Reduce Winter Heating Costs
Second, sometimes it makes sense to upgrade a furnace even if it still runs well. Although your furnace may not need repairs often, it still could be outdated by today’s standards and cost you extra money to run.
Specifically, you should consider replacing your furnace if it’s not Energy Star certified. These certified furnaces fall into two categories. Models that are fully Energy Star certified perform 15 percent more efficient than standard (non-certified) models, and Energy Star South certified models are 11 percent more efficient. The latter are for southern states.
Thus, you can expect at least an 11 or 15 percent savings on your winter heating costs if you upgrade to one of these models. If you usually spend $1,500 on heating costs, that could reduce your seasonal expense by $165 or $225 per year. Over the course of a furnace’s life span, these savings could add up to be more than the furnace initially cost to purchase.
Moreover, the above savings are based on today’s standard models. If you have an older furnace that’s not certified, it probably isn’t even as efficient as the new standard models that are for sale now — which would result in even greater seasonal savings for you.
Keep Your Home More Evenly Heated
If you notice that your house is no longer as evenly heated as it used to be, a number of issues could be behind the uneven temperatures in different rooms. The problem probably isn’t related to insulation since an insulation-related issue would have been present for a long time. Instead, the underlying problem is likely somewhere in your heating system.
Sometimes, uneven temperatures are the result of blocked ductwork or a broken thermostat. When this is the case, you can likely resolve the issue without repairing or replacing your furnace.
Other times, an old furnace is the cause of uneven heating. If your furnace is no longer powerful enough to produce all the heat that your home needs, the furnace won’t deliver sufficient hot air to the ducts. The outermost ducts, in particular, won’t get hot air — and the rooms furthest from your furnace will be colder than they should be.
If an old furnace is the reason why your home’s heat is uneven, the furnace has to be replaced with a new one in order for your home to regain even heating.
If you think your home needs a new furnace, contact Colorado Discount Heating & Cooling.
Contact us today to consult with our team and get customized HVAC solutions from our trained and experienced professionals.
