For many homeowners, your heating system quietly provides comfort and warmth throughout cooler months. Beyond scheduling regular maintenance each fall and replacing your air filter, homeowners rarely interact with a furnace. So when something goes wrong your first reaction may be confusion and stress. Fortunately, Poston Brothers have some simple guidelines for choosing when to repair your furnace or purchase a new furnace.

Common Signs of Furnace Issues

Before your furnace fails there are often warning signs. When you hire professional HVAC technicians to perform annual maintenance minor issues are often repaired. So tune-ups each fall are the best way to avoid costly repairs.

Whether or not you perform maintenance, all homeowners should pay attention to the performance of their furnaces. Throughout the colder months, you should monitor your energy bills. Paying attention to sudden spikes in energy use indicates your furnace is working harder to heat your home. Worn components, dirty air filters, and clogged systems demand more energy to heat your home. Dirt and malfunctioning components cause stress and can lead to breakdowns.

When the furnace is underperforming you may notice uneven heating and cold spots throughout your home. Other warning signs that your heating system is struggling are strange sounds and odors. Whistling, banging, and clanging sounds should prompt you to immediately turn off your furnace. Foul scents may be mold growing in your furnace or that it is emitting carbon monoxide. A burning smell could indicate a bad electrical connection. Quickly responding to any issues within your furnace may be the difference between the need to repair or replace your furnace.

When to Repair Your Furnace

HVAC professionals should provide a complete inspection of your heating system when diagnosing the primary failure within your furnace. The advice of an experienced and certified technician should be considered before making any kind of purchase. When you form a relationship with a reputable heating and cooling company like Poston Brothers, you can trust the advice. Generally, if a furnace is under 10 years old and has no history of repair, the repair costs often make sense. When a furnace is repaired the goal is to provide a long-lasting solution for your home.

When to Replace Your Furnace

In some circumstances, installing a new furnace is the best decision for your home. The primary advantage when you replace your furnace is reliability. New furnaces operate for many years without the need for repair and manufacturers like Daikin provide a warranty against malfunction. Another additional benefit includes energy bills are lower with a new furnace system. Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) is far higher in new gas furnaces and your current furnace has most likely lost efficiency as it aged. Since a replacement furnace is a major expense, homeowners should consult with a professional when deciding between repairing or investing in a new heating system.

There are some specific cases where furnace replacement is almost always the best solution. The average lifespan of a furnace varies based on your household, maintenance and other factors. Generally, furnaces that are over 15 years old or have a history of repairs may need to be replaced. Especially when major components fail including a cracked heat exchanger and faulty blower motor. Repair costs to fix major components like these may exceed the life expectancy of your furnace. This is another reason why building a relationship with a trusted HVAC company like Poston Brothers is important.

When to Call a Professional

At the first sign of issues, homeowners should contact our team. Proper maintenance and minor repairs help to optimize performance and improve the life expectancy of your furnace. There are two common scenarios our technicians encounter too often. First, many homeowners notice warning signs like noises coming from the furnace, higher energy bills, and even carbon monoxide detectors sounding but do not contact Poston Brothers until their furnace breaks down completely. Second, some homeowners pay for frequent repairs. Bills quickly mount because of poor advice and ill-advised repairs.

Contact Poston Brothers for honest and professional repairs. We always act in the best interest of our customers. When our team inspects your furnace we provide thorough consultation so you can make an informed decision about when to repair or replace your furnace.