We realize that purchasing a furnace may not be an immediate need, but it’s smart to learn the keys that can drive your decision when that time comes. Below are five considerations that Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Similar to any other appliance, as furnaces age, the likeliness of heating repairs increase. If your system is over 15 years old, you might start to experience relatively expensive repairs. More common and costly repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in Roanoke area homes today vary significantly and their efficiency directly influences your utility bills. Furnaces older than 15 years can be extremely inefficient, with up to 40% of your heating dollars going out the window (in a manner of speaking). Even newer furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A well maintained furnace will function more efficiently, decrease the likelihood of expensive repairs and most importantly ensure your safety. After all, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point worth mentioning is a properly tuned furnace will last longer before replacement is needed.
4. Tune-up Checks
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning often receives questions pertaining to what actually can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many vital checks and calibrations in the process:
- Gas Pressure and gas valve calibration
- Cleaning and checking safety switches
- Cleaning the heat exchanger
- Inspecting the heat exchanger for dangerous conditions
- Cleaning the blower system
- Cleaning and replacement of worn ignition sensors
- And many others...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A certified technician who has the education to perform a tune-up must maintain heating equipment annually. Simply put, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with dated equipment are some of the more obvious signs of a need to replace your furnace.
High energy costs and the interest to reduce energy consumption are also pressing reasons to weigh the replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst suggested nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Roanoke area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning at 540-302-8645.