Key Furnace Replacement Indicators Every Homeowner Should Know
Ewww! Imagine this! Waking up to a cold house or coming home from the day’s activities to discover the furnace is no longer working. After making sure the cause is not a power outage or a tripped breaker, it seems that you have experienced a catastrophic failure of the furnace. What now??
The good news is the furnace will give several notifications well in advance of failure . . . if a homeowner recognizes the warning signs. Responding to these warnings will make the difference between a timely, planned replacement of the HVAC system and a sudden emergency replacement. Here are some basic indicators for observant homeowners.
Furnace Replacement Tip 1 System Age
You probably have an approach for replacing vehicles. Some change them regularly, some repair them and run them as long as possible. Either way, you understand that mechanical devices are not designed to last forever. The same principle applies to your furnace and air conditioner.
Research shows furnaces will last approximately 20 years. That is primarily because of wear. If your HVAC system has a heating or cooling cycle twice per hour for 20 years, it will experience more than 350,000 cycles or about 1.8 million minutes of run time. We are not used to thinking about our poor little system in that way, but there are the facts. After 20 years, it is pretty worn.
Age factors into efficiency as well. The wear causes electrical and mechanical parts to work harder to achieve the heating or cooling goal you set at the thermostat to keep the family comfortable. That shows up in higher energy bills as the years pass; some of the increase will be due to rising energy costs, but some will be due to higher energy use.
Furnace Replacement Tip 2 Frequent Repairs
A mechanical system needs to be maintained and cleaned regularly; that is certainly true of your HVAC system. Beyond that, it will also need to be repaired. But remember these things about repairs.
- A small repair is not uncommon. What is considered a small repair? A good rule of thumb is when the component being replaced costs less than the labor to diagnose and repair the part.
- A large repair is the reverse when the part costs more than the labor needed for installation.
- Pay attention to when the same part needs to be replaced every year. That is not a good sign.
- Don’t forget to keep a running total of repair costs. The sum can add up quickly a bad sign, but an easily overlooked sign.
Furnace Replacement Tip 3 Unusual Sounds, Smells, and Sights
When you notice something has changed about the operation or performance of the HVAC system, it is often an indication that the system is struggling. That includes
- Rapid clicking or loud humming or buzzing
- Screeching or grinding noises during a cycle
- Frequent clicking noises from the thermostat
Furnace Replacement Tip 4 Unusual smells might include
- Musty or earthy smells. The blower motor is collecting air from inside the home, conditioning it, and recirculating it. If it picks up a smell along the way, you need to discover where that smell is coming from.
- Burnt plastic. This usually indicates something has overheated
Visual evidence might include
- Excessive soot or dust around vents or deposited on surfaces
- A yellow flame on the burner assembly. A blue flame is an indication of incomplete combustion.
Call All Star AC & Heating for Your Furnace Replacement, Today!
Let All Star A/C & Heating Services help with your Furnace replacement. We have a seasoned team of HVAC contractors who will configure and design your furnace maintenance to keep you and your family comfortable.
