Should I Repair or Replace My Furnace?

December 29, 2014

If the temperature outside is chilly, the health and operation of your home’s furnace is obviously critical to your comfort. If you’re experiencing furnace difficulties, you may be wondering whether it makes sense to repair or replace your furnace. There are multiple factors that will decide upon which option is best for you. Your Winnipeg area HVAC service advisor can help you evaluate your needs and your struggling HVAC system to determine whether furnace repair or replacement is the appropriate short- and long-term answer for your Winnipeg home.

When Repair Is Best

Oftentimes, furnace problems can be easily diagnosed and repaired by a ACE-certified, HVAC professional. If your furnace is new—i.e., less than ten years old — it stands a very good chance that any issues it has can be solved through repair. On top of that, if your furnace is still heating your Winnipeg area home efficiently (your HVAC professional can help you verify this), then it is still likely and more affordable to repair it. Typically, as long as you are not seeing a trending increase in your heating bills with constant usage and your home is not having issues with uneven heating, your furnace is deemed operationally sound. Our recommendation regarding furnace repairs is that if the repairs you require are less than one-third of the cost of a new heating system and your furnace is in the first half of its anticipated lifetime, repair is likely your best choice. Don’t forget that even if you are experiencing a reduction in heating efficiency, there are other paths you can explore before considering replacing your furnace. Talk to your HVAC service advisor about upgrading your thermostat or checking the integrity of your Winnipeg home’s ductwork to see if he thinks these solutions could improve the efficiency of your furnace. Talk to Winnipeg Supply Service Experts about scheduling regular furnace maintenance, which will add years of quality service from your furnace and help you avoid 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; thereafter, the heating system will deteriorate and fail more and more often. Thus, if your furnace is already at least 15 years old, it is time to discuss replacement. Irregardless of equipment age, if you’ve been calling your HVAC service provider for repairs on a regular basis, this could also be a sign that your furnace is beyond help and requires a replacement. Although repairs may seem like a basic fix, if they aren’t keeping your furnace functioning for years at a time, these frequent smaller charges ultimately cost you more money. There are several things that may determine whether replacement is best for you including the quality of your original furnace installation and the capacity of your furnace. Installation means everything in terms of furnace effectiveness. Also, your furnace may be struggling if it’s not sized correctly for your Winnipeg home size or heating needs. If your furnace isn’t sized or installed properly, you might want to buy the correct unit versus trying to get the wrong unit to perform beyond it’s capacity.

If you have questions about whether repair or replacement of your Winnipeg home’s heating system is right for you, contact Winnipeg Supply Service Experts today.


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