We know that buying a new furnace may not be a priority in the immediate future, but it’s smart to learn the keys that would impact your decision when you do need to buy a new one. Below are the top 5 considerations that Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Just like any appliance, as furnaces age, the likeliness of heating repairs increase. If your system is over 15 years old, those repair can be especially expensive. Costly, yet typical repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in Philadelphia area homes today naturally influences your home energy bills, and the level of efficiency can vary tremendously depending upon the system you buy. Furnaces older than 15 years can be very 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 operate more efficiently, lower the likelihood of expensive repairs and above all ensure your safety. After all, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point to mention is a properly tuned furnace will last longer before replacement is required.
4. Tune-up Checks
Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning often receives questions relating to what really can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many essential 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
- Others...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A trained and certified HVAC specialist who has the skill and hands-on experience to perform a tune-up is needed to maintain heating equipment each year. In short, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with aged equipment are a couple of the more obvious signs of a need to replace your furnace.
Excessive energy costs and the interest to reduce energy consumption are also strong reasons to weigh the replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst stated that nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Philadelphia area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning at 215-278-9690.