When its cold outside, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously vital to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you may be wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are several factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Nashville area HVAC professional 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 Nashville home.
When Repair Is Best
In most cases, furnace problems 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 has can be solved through repair. On top of that, if your furnace is still heating your Nashville area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you determine this), then it is still probable that you will repair it. Usually, as long as you are not seeing a steady increase in your heating bills with continual usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is deemed operationally sound. Conventional wisdom relating to furnace repairs is that as long as 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 choice. Keep in mind that even if you are experiencing a drop 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 Nashville home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these HVAC products could improve the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Donelson Air Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will ensure your furnace is in top condition and help you prevent further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair cannot restore your heating system to a minimally effective level. The estimated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after this point, the heating system will start to fail more and more often. Accordingly, if your furnace is already at least 15 years old, it is time to think about replacement. Beyond the factor of the age of your equipment, if you’ve been calling your HVAC service provider for repairs too often, this could also be a sign that it’s time to consider replacement. Although repairs may seem like a basic 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 many things that may determine whether replacement is appropriate for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. A furnace is only as good as its installation, making proper installation essential. Furthermore, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized properly for your Nashville 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 Nashville home’s heating system is right for you, contact Donelson Air Service Experts today.