We understand that not everyone may need a new furnace right now, but it’s smart to learn the keys that can drive your decision when that time comes. Below are the top 5 considerations that Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Just like any appliance, as furnaces age, the potential for frequent heating repairs increase. If your system is over 15 years old, those repairs can become significant. More common and costly repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in Orlando area homes today can vary widely and has a direct correlation to the amount of money you pay your utility company each month. Furnaces older than 15 years can be very inefficient, wasting up to 40% of the dollars you spend to heat your home. Even newer furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A correctly maintained furnace will run more efficiently, reduce the likelihood of expensive repairs and most of all ensure your safety. Remember, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point to mention is a properly tuned furnace will last longer before replacement is required.
4. Tune-up Checks
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning receives a lot of questions relating to what actually can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many vital checks and calibrations in the process:
- Gas Pressure and gas valve calibration
- Cleaning and checking safety switches
- Cleaning the heat exchanger
- Inspecting the heat exchanger for dangerous conditions
- Cleaning the blower system
- Cleaning and replacement of worn ignition sensors
- And many others...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A trained and certified HVAC specialist who has the insight, tools and expertise to perform a tune-up should maintain heating equipment once a year. In short, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with aged equipment are a few of the more obvious signals of a need to replace your furnace.
Out of control energy costs and the desire to reduce energy consumption are also pressing reasons to weigh the replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst shows nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Orlando area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning at 407-329-7661.