Most homeowners rely on their heating systems to keep them warm during the colder months. But a furnace is a complicated piece of equipment with many components, and it needs regular maintenance to work at optimal efficiency. No matter how well your heating equipment is maintained, it will eventually start to fail more often. The cost of repair will become economical, and it will be time to get a new furnace. In this article, we will take a look at how you can determine that it’s the right time to invest in a new furnace.

How Long Should a Furnace Last?

This is a tricky question to answer because there are a number of factors to consider. A typical furnace that’s been looked after could perform reasonably well for 18 or even 20 years. If the heating system is regularly maintained and used sensibly could even last a little longer. If the furnace isn’t maintained at all and it has a much harder life the useful lifespan could be much shorter. But, it’s important to understand that age and maintenance may not be the only two factors in your decision to retire your furnace. The furnace running costs will increase gradually over time, and this will be a crucial factor when your thinking about a repair to keep the heating system running for another year or a replacement.

The Increasing Frequency and Costs of Furnace Repairs

Much like an older car, a furnace that frequently needs more expensive repairs is probably reaching the end of its useful lifespan. A replacement will be required, but how expensive does the furnace repair bill need to be before you decide that it’s just not worth it anymore? Again this will vary from person to person, some will prefer to spend the money on a repair to delay, and others may make the decision to replace earlier. When you have regular maintenance carried out on your furnace, your local certified HVAC technician may advise you to replace your furnace. It’s always worth bearing this advice in mind, especially if you’re starting to notice that your furnace needs more frequent or more expensive repairs.

A Dramatic Increase in Your Heating Bills

In some cases, a furnace may continue to work well, but homeowners that keep a close eye on their energy bills may notice that they are dramatically rising. When a furnace is inefficient, it will use far more energy with no accompanying increase in heating performance. This is a tremendous waste of energy, and if you notice that your energy bills are higher than they used to be during the heating season, it’s probably a good idea to replace your furnace.

The new modern furnaces that are available on the market today are far more efficient than a unit made only a few years ago. Compared to a furnace that is almost two decades old, a brand new furnace will use far less energy. If that isn’t enough incentive alone, it’s also worth considering that a new law will come into effect soon that is expected to make significant energy savings for homeowners.

After July 3, 2019, all residential furnace manufacturers will be required to install energy efficient electronically commutated motors or ECM’s on their furnace fans. An ECM will use far less energy, and this measure is expected to say homeowners across our nation billions of dollars on their energy bills. These ECM’s will also reduce the level of carbon pollutants, and they are designed to provide more efficient airflow to keep the occupants of the home more comfortable. When ECM’s are used the fan can run for longer at lower speeds, and this helps to control temperature swings in the home.

As you can see, the installation of ECM’s in the new furnaces could be a real asset to any homeowner. It’s not often that you can save money and improve home comfort at the same time and help the environment out at the same time. This new technology could be an important factor in the decision to repair or replace your furnace. If your heating system is 12 years old or older and you’re already noticing that it needs more expert attention it may make good financial sense to get a modern furnace that has ECM’s fitted.

Assessing the Cost of Furnace Repair

If you have an older furnace, you need to assess your current costs and compare them to home much you would save if you installed a new furnace. Based on statistics released by Energy.gov we have put together a few facts that may help you to make a decision.

  • If the furnace is less than 12 years old and the repair bill is less than $1,000 it’s at the reasonable limit for a repair.
  • If the furnace is more than 12 years old and the repair bill is over $1,000 it’s a far better choice to replace the unit instead.
  • If your heating system needs a repair that approaches $1,000 more than once each year you should be looking into replacing the furnace.

As you can see, a furnace could still work for 18 or 20 years, but it will cost more to run and repair as the years go on.

Making a Final Decision

In order to make a good decision on a possible furnace replacement, it’s important to carefully weigh all the factors that have been shown in this article. The age of the system, the energy efficiency and the cost of repair, all tell a story about the state of your furnace. It’s a great idea to save all of the paperwork related to repairs and your energy bills. As you go through the paperwork in chronological order, you may start to notice that things are starting to get more expensive. The energy bills may be rising, and the repair bills are going up at the same time. In most cases, it will be obvious that a furnace replacement is the best option for better heating performance, reduced running costs, and lower energy bills.