If the temperature outside is chilly, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you might be wondering whether it is ultimately more sensible to repair or replace your furnace. There are many factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Kansas City area HVAC service advisor can help you judge your needs and your struggling HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the appropriate short- and long-term answer for your Kansas City home.
When Repair Is Best
Oftentimes, furnace troubles can be easily pinpointed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than 10 years of system life — odds are highly likely that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. Furthermore, if your furnace is still heating your Kansas City area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you verify this), then it is still in your best interest to repair it. Typically, as long as you are not seeing a trending increase in your heating bills with continual usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is functioning efficiently. A good general rule of thumb relating to furnace repairs is that assuming the repairs you need are less than one-third of the investment of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its expected lifetime, repair is likely your best option. Remember that even if you are experiencing a reduction in heating efficiency, there are other avenues you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC professional about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Kansas City home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these enhancement could boost the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Neal Harris Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will keep your furnace functioning its best and help you prevent further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair will not be able to affordably resolve your issues. The anticipated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after which, the heating system will start to fail more and more often. Thus, if your furnace is approaching or past 15 years old, it is time to consider replacement. Beyond the factor of the age of your equipment, if you need your HVAC service provider for repairs on a regular basis, this could also be a sign that your furnace is beyond help and requires a replacement. Although repairs may seem like a simple fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace running for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges ultimately cost you more money. 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 Kansas City home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you should consider replacing the system and starting anew, rather than continually addressing breakdowns and poor function.
If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Kansas City home’s heating system is right for you, contact Neal Harris Service Experts today.