How Often You Should Replace Your Furnace

You may know when you should replace most items in our home. For example, your heating and cooling system air filter needs to be replaced monthly. Your pillows need to be replaced every two years. Your smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years. But what about your heating system?

If your heating system has annual maintenance and is kept in good shape, it can last 12-20 years. Once your heating equipment reaches 15 years of age , it’s really a good time to start contemplating replacing your heating equipment with an upgraded, more energy efficient heating system. Installed correctly, these high-efficiency heating units can save up to 20% on utility costs. Even if your furnace still seems to be working fine, it’s ideal to start looking now instead of waiting until your equipment breaks down in the middle of a long freeze and you’re so desperate you can’t properly look into your options. When thinking about new furnace options it’s also crucial to consider your home’s air duct system. Leaking and undersized ducts can seriously affect your home’s overall comfort and effectiveness. A new furnace is only as good as the air duct equipment that it’s installed in.

Another reason you need to research ahead of time is to see what manufacturer rebates and tax credits are available to you. Right now, you can earn U.S. government tax credits of up to $500 for certain HVAC equipment – but it’s only before the end of 2016 and hasn’t been confirmed past 12/31/16. Follow this link to help discover local rebates available in your area : https://www.energystar.gov/rebate-finder.

Another thing to consider if your system isn’t quite 20 years old and you’re debating replacement is what amount you’re spending on repairs. You can normally repair a furnace – change a part here, fix a component there – but at some point the cost of repairing your heating equipment will be greater than the cost of replacing it and at that point you really need to think about long-term spending. If you are having to repair your furnace on an annual basis, it’s probably time to think about replacement.

If you aren’t sure about your heating system’s ability to get you through the winter safe and toasty, give TML Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning a call and we’d be happy to visit your home and inspect your furnace and provide any options. Starting December 1^st, TML Service Experts is providing discounts on specific heating and cooling systems so give us a call and find out how much you can save!