When its cold outside, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace troubles, you probably are wondering whether it’s in your best interests to repair or replace your furnace. There are many factors that will help you resolve which option is best for you. Your Fort Lauderdale area HVAC service advisor can help you assess your needs and your broken HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the appropriate short- and long-term answer for your Fort Lauderdale home.
When Repair Is Best
In most cases, furnace troubles can be easily sourced and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., under ten years — it stands a very good chance that any issues it exhibits can be solved through repair. Additionally, if your furnace is still heating your Fort Lauderdale area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you confirm 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 continual usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is functioning efficiently. A good general rule of thumb regarding furnace repairs is that as long as the repairs you need 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 option. Remember that even if you are experiencing a drop in heating efficiency, there are other avenues you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC professional about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Fort Lauderdale home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these enhancement could advance the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will keep your furnace functioning its best and help you prevent further repairs or drops in efficiency.
When Replacement Is Best
At times, repair will not be able to affordably resolve your issues. The anticipated lifetime of most furnaces is 15-20 years; after this point, the heating system will start to fail more and more often. Accordingly, if your furnace is approaching or past 15 years old, it is time to discuss replacement. Regardless of the age of your furnace, if you require 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 ideal for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. A furnace is only as good as its installation, making proper installation essential. In addition, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized properly for your Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale home’s heating system is right for you, contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today.