With summer nearing its end, now is the time to start making sure that your home’s furnace is up to the task of keeping your Saint Clair Shores, MI home warm this winter. For most homeowners, this means scheduling a maintenance appointment for your furnace’s yearly checkup. However, if your furnace is beginning to show signs of its age and needs repairs or isn’t as reliable as it used to be, you might want to consider replacing it instead. But how do you know when to repair your furnace and when to replace it? Here’s everything you need to know to make the right decision.
Consider Your Furnace’s Age
On average, you can expect a well-maintained furnace to give you between 15 and 30 years of reliable service. If your furnace is reaching the upper end of that age range, you should consider replacing it. You may want to do so even if your existing furnace only needs minor repairs to get ready for the coming heating season. The reason is simple. While the repair your furnace needs now may be minor, its age virtually guarantees that you’re going to start seeing more costly repair bills shortly.
Consider Your Furnace’s Efficiency
You should also consider that older furnaces are significantly less efficient than newer ones. A furnace installed 20 or more years ago may have an energy efficiency of 78% or less. Today, you can find furnaces on the market with efficiencies up to 98.5%. That means a new furnace might save you significant sums on your heating bills compared to your existing furnace. That savings alone might be reason enough to consider replacing your old furnace rather than repairing it.
Consider the Repair Costs
No matter how old your existing furnace is, you should also consider the cost of any necessary repairs to make the right decision. Most experts agree that you should consider replacing your furnace if any necessary repairs will cost more than 50% of the price of a replacement. If your furnace is close to its maximum expected lifespan, that figure drops to 30%. Therefore, when you discuss repairs for your furnace, you may want to get a quote for a replacement so you know the relative costs of your options.
Consider Your Furnace’s Performance
You should also think about how well your existing furnace meets your heating needs before choosing between a repair and a replacement. As furnaces age, they begin to lose efficiency, but that will also affect their ability to deliver heat to your home. You will need to consider that a repair might restore your furnace to working condition but still leave you with inadequate heat. In other words, if your furnace was barely holding its own before it needed repairs, you shouldn’t expect it to perform significantly better afterward. Since your comfort is paramount, you should consider replacing any poorly-performing furnace.
Consider Your Future Plans
Finally, you should think about your plans when choosing between a repair or a replacement of your furnace. If you’re planning to sell your home shortly, a new furnace will boost your home’s resale value. The logic behind this is obvious: A homebuyer doesn’t want to inherit expensive problems when they buy a home. In other words, a new furnace will make your home more attractive to potential buyers and help it sell faster and for more money.
Consult Your Local Furnace Experts
Here at Oasis Heating & Cooling, we know choosing between a furnace repair or replacement isn’t always easy. However, you can count on our expert HVAC technicians to help you make the right call every time. We’ll never recommend a repair that we don’t think is in your best interests. Likewise, we’d never push you to install a new furnace if your existing one remains serviceable. You can rely on us to handle all of your HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance needs, as well as your indoor air quality. If you need a new furnace, we offer financing options on approved credit to help you better afford it.
For furnace repairs, replacements, and more in and around Saint Clair Shores, contact Oasis Heating & Cooling today!
