Winters around Loveland, CO, get cold, and you want to make sure your furnace will keep up. Consider these signs that it’s time to replace your furnace before you’re left in the cold.
Understanding Your Furnace’s Age: When to Consider Replacement
Gas furnaces have an expected service life of between 15 and 20 years when they receive routine furnace maintenance. Consider the age of your furnace, and plan to replace it as it ages before it suffers a catastrophic failure.
Don’t worry if you don’t know when technicians installed your furnace. You can find it on your furnace by looking for the tag with the serial number.
Some manufacturers include the manufacturing date on this tag. If there’s no date there, look at the third and fourth digit in the serial number, which indicates the year manufactured.
Climbing Utility Bills
Keep an eye on your utility bills, especially your gas consumption year over year. Increased consumption indicates your furnace isn’t working as efficiently, which naturally happens as your furnace ages.
Climbing utility bills may simply indicate your system needs repairs or maintenance. However, combined with age, this is a key indicator your system is nearing the end of its service life. You may be better off planning for a replacement rather than trying to keep it limping along.
Increasing Furnace Repairs
Has your system required any repairs over the last two years? Repairs increase as your system ages and components wear out, with a marked increase over the last two years. At some point, you’re better off replacing your unit rather than continuing to repair it.
To determine if you’re at that point, add the repairs your unit has had in the last two seasons. Include any repairs your system currently requires as well, then multiply the sum by the age of your furnace. If the product is greater than the cost of a replacement, it’s time to consider investing in a new unit.
Don’t let an aging furnace put additional strain on your finances with exaggerated operating costs. Call to schedule your new furnace installation consultation with our experts at A to Z Heating & Cooling today.
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