The age of your furnace. The average life expectancy of furnaces in homes today is 12 to 15 years. Start shopping if your furnace is close to or older than this. Replacing your furnace as a planned home improvement instead of a panic replacement is preferred by most people.
Furnace repairs in the past two years. Furnaces have the most breakdowns in the last two years of their lives, kind of like cars. You can keep replacing/repairing parts and before you know it, you’ve spent a ton of money to keep it running. If you have to wait for replacement parts, you know your furnace is getting old (and who wants to wait on a frigid night?).
The color of your burner flame. Blue is good, yellow is not. A yellow or flickering flame could mean your furnace is creating poisonous carbon monoxide (CO). Other CO signs are soot streaks around the furnace, no upward draft in your chimney, excessive moisture on cold surfaces like windows and walls, excessive rust on the flue pipes, and water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent or flue pipe.
Strange noises. Have you heard any popping, banging, squealing, or rattling noises from your furnace? Does your blower run excessively or turn on and off a lot? Does it sometimes blow cold air? These are signs your furnace may need replacement.
High Gas and Electric bills. Rising utility costs are not the only reason for high bills. Old furnaces lose their efficiency, especially if they haven’t been maintained. Your furnace may run longer to provide the same amount of heat, causing your bills to go up. That money could go towards a new furnace!
Uncomfortable with uneven temperatures. Are some rooms too cold or too hot? Are you constantly adjusting the thermostat? Your furnace may lack the ability to properly distribute the air to keep you comfortable in your home.
Heal issues. Has anyone in your home been complaining of frequent headaches, burning eyes or nose, nausea, disorientation, or flu-like symptoms? If you experience any of these, open windows, call a gas service technician, and get everyone out of the house. Carbon monoxide can leak undetected into your home from cracks or holes in the heat exchanger of an old furnace. I’m sure you’ve heard some of the deadly horror stories about this.
Contact Ideal HVAC Services today to have your Heating system repaired or inspected…we’re going to exceed your expectations!
Ask us about our special pricing on Low-Level CO Detectors!
