How do you know if your furnace is dying?
A furnace is an important part of every home, but it’s also a somewhat complicated piece of machinery. It can sometimes be hard to tell whether it’s simple maintenance that’s required, or if you might be looking at a dying furnace. The best way to know what to do, is to call Pro Duct Solutions. Our registered HVAC technicians will be able to talk with you about your furnace and help you decide what to do next.
When your furnace is acting up, we can come in and perform an inspection. Pro Duct Solutions can determine exactly what’s wrong and how to fix it. We will discuss your options with you and give you every piece of information you need to make a confident decision about your furnace.
- Furnace age.
Like everything, furnaces have a life expectancy. The average gas furnace can be expected to live for about 15-20 years. If you suspect there’s something wrong with your furnace and you know it’s older than 15 years, there’s a good chance that it might to be replaced. This isn’t always a bad thing either, a lot can change in 15 years, especially when it come to technology. If your old furnace is dying, you can replace it with a better, more efficient model.
- Increased heating bills.
Have you noticed that your energy bills have been rising steadily over the past year? If you’re paying more to heat your home than ever before, it may be time to have a technician take a look at your furnace. Sometimes the solution may be simple maintenance, other times a higher energy bill can be a sign of a dying furnace.
- Rusted parts.
Take a look at your furnace, do you notice anything that’s rusted or eroding? This is a major sign that it’s most likely the time to replace your furnace. Some of the pieces might be able to be replaced, but if there’s rust in one spot, there’s most likely rust in others. If you notice rust or erosion an any part of your furnace, call a registered HVAC technician to take a look, they’ll be able to tell you if it’s an easy fix, or something more serious.
- Your house never seems to make it up to the right temperature.
Have you been colder than usual lately even though your thermostat settings haven’t changed? This can be caused by an issue with the thermostat, the furnace, or both. As with most of the things on this list, there’s a chance this is a simple issue like a wonky thermostat. But it could also be a sign that your furnace is struggling to keep up with the demands of heating your home.
- Multiple parts have needed to be replaced in a short amount of time.
Do you feel like you’ve been calling your HVAC technician more often than anyone else lately? This is a pretty good sign that your furnace is dying and needs to be replaced. If you’ve had to have your furnace serviced multiple times in the last year, you should talk to the technician about having your furnace replaced. This may even save you money in the long run as multiple furnace repairs can really add up.
- Your carbon monoxide detector has gone off.
If you’ve noticed signs of a carbon monoxide leak in your home, you need to immediately call your gas company to have the gas shut off until an HVAV technician can come in to remedy the situation. Carbon monoxide has no odour, colour, or taste, so a carbon monoxide detector is super important when it comes to detecting leaks. A CO leak is a serious issue and needs to be fixed immediately, this may involve having your furnace replaced.
While none of these signs on their own are indicative of a dying furnace, if you’re noticing more than one at a time, that’s a big clue. If any of these signs are combined with advanced furnace age then it’s almost always going to mean that your furnace is dying and will need to be replaced. While having your furnace replaced will cost money, it’s not altogether a bad thing.
A new furnace will save you money in the long run. New model furnaces are more efficient than their predecessors. This means that they use less energy to perform the same function. The parts are also improved in quality which means that they’ll last longer and require less maintenance.
A new furnace is going to be safer. Again, fifteen years is a long time, especially when it comes to technology. Newer furnaces are better made than ever before which means that they’re going to be safer for you and your family. You can rest easy knowing that your furnace is the safest it can be.
The only downside to replacing an old or dying furnace is the upfront cost. After that, you’ll see nothing but improvements over the old unit. Once you’ve decided whether or not you want to replace your furnace, call Pro Duct Solutions. We’re experts when it comes to the intricacies of furnace removal and installation.
