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Help Deciding When To Replace Your Furnace

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Are you a homeowner with a house that's no longer heating up when you adjust the thermostat? Are you wondering if it's time to replace your furnace or if you can repair it one more time? It can obviously be a huge decision to replace your furnace so the actual decision can take a while. However, there are a few things to think about that can help when you consider whether or not replacing your furnace is the right decision. Some of these things include:

Age of the furnace: The first thing to consider is how long the furnace has been installed in your home. Furnaces have an average life expectancy, just like everything else in your home. This can obviously vary slightly, depending on the make and model in question as well as how well any previous owners maintained the furnace in question. But if the furnace is almost as old as you, or is older, it's probably going to be a candidate for a home furnace replacement. Besides older furnaces being more prone to breakdowns, they are also usually less efficient than modern furnaces both due to age and advances in technology. Replacing the furnace may be a large investment right now, but the increase in efficiency can mean that it will pay for itself in a relatively short time simply by lowering your heating bill.

Date of the last repair(s): As a furnace nears the end of its useful lifespan, breakdowns will be more and more common. If your furnace's last major repair was in the last six months or so, it may be breaking down. Even a furnace that's barely out of warranty may be a candidate for home furnace repair if it hasn't been maintained correctly. Without proper maintenance, breakdowns will occur more frequently than they would otherwise. Your furnace repair technician can give you a good idea as to whether or not your furnace has seen a proper maintenance and repair cycle and whether your current furnace is a lost cause or not.

Carbon monoxide leaks: If your furnace is not an electric one, you should be monitoring the carbon monoxide levels in your home. Higher than normal levels of carbon monoxide can indicate the presence of unseen cracks in your furnace. Under normal operation, combustion byproducts like carbon monoxide and other gasses will be safely vented out of your home through your furnace's flue system. However, cracks can appear in the heat exchanger, allowing carbon monoxide to enter your home. Although your repair technician may be able to repair the damage, the wisest course of action is to do a complete home furnace replacement so that you and your family are definitely safe.


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