If the temperature outside is chilly, the health and function of your home’s furnace is obviously vital to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you probably are wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are multiple factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Knoxville area HVAC technician can help you assess your needs and your current HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the ideal short- and long-term answer for your Knoxville home.
When Repair Is Best
More often than not, furnace problems can be easily pinpointed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., under ten years — odds are highly likely that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. On top of that, if your furnace is still heating your Knoxville area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you confirm 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 constant usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is functioning efficiently. Conventional wisdom relating to furnace repairs is that assuming the repairs you must get are less than one-third of the cost of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its anticipated 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 service advisor about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Knoxville home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these enhancement could improve the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to R & M Climate Control Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will keep your furnace functioning its best and help you minimize further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
Sometimes, repair is not your best option to restore your furnace to optimal function. The expected lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; thereafter, the heating system will begin to fail more and more often. Thus, if your furnace is approaching or past 15 years old, it is time to think about replacement. Irregardless of equipment age, if you’ve been calling your HVAC service provider for repairs frequently, 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 can add up quickly and cost you more in the long run. There are several things that may determine whether replacement is best 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 correctly for your Knoxville 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 Knoxville home’s heating system is right for you, contact R & M Climate Control Service Experts today.