If the temperature outside is chilly, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you might be wondering whether it makes sense to repair or replace your furnace. There are multiple factors that will determine which option is best for you. Your Edmonton area HVAC professional can help you evaluate your needs and your struggling HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the ideal short- and long-term answer for your Edmonton home.
When Repair Is Best
Oftentimes, furnace troubles can be easily identified and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than 10 years of system life — 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 Edmonton area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you verify this), then it is still probable that you will repair it. Commonly, 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 regarding furnace repairs is that if 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 decision. Don’t forget 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 Edmonton home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these solutions could boost the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Rob's Albertan Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will add years of quality service from your furnace and help you minimize further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
Eventually, repair cannot restore your heating system to a minimally effective level. The anticipated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after which, the heating system will start to fail more and more often. Therefore, if your furnace is nearing or passed the 15 year mark, it is time to discuss 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 simple fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace functioning for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges can add up quickly and cost you more in the long run. There are a variety of things that may determine whether replacement is best for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. Installation means everything in terms of furnace effectiveness. Also, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized properly for your Edmonton 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 Edmonton home’s heating system is right for you, contact Rob's Albertan Service Experts today.