Furnace Replacement

One of the most difficult parts of being a responsible homeowner is knowing when to pull the plug on major household appliances. Because investing in a new furnace is a significant decision, you naturally want to do it at the proper time. If you replace your heating system too early, you’re wasting the productive years your furnace has left and spending money sooner than you need to. But if you wait too long to pull the trigger, your aging heating unit may start to have frequent problems, causing you discomfort, hassle, and potentially, wasted money. But if you pay attention to what your furnace is telling you, selecting the ideal time to invest in a replacement should be entirely feasible.

First and foremost, if your furnace is less than a decade old, it’s unlikely that it needs to be replaced until it gets a bit older. Granted, there are several valid reasons to upgrade to a new furnace when your current one is still running smoothly. But if your goal is to get as many productive years out of your heating system as possible, it’s almost always worth having a young appliance repaired rather than replaced. When your furnace starts to get up there in age, though, there are certain indicators that it’s in decline.

Rising Heating Costs – As your furnace’s components begin to wear out, it will become more and more difficult for the appliance to do its job. Eventually, this will start to have a significant impact on the amount you’re paying for your monthly heating bills. With an aging heating system, it’s important that you keep an eye on your energy costs throughout the winter. That way, you won’t miss it if your furnace’s energy efficiency takes a dive. When you upgrade to a new unit, it will immediately offer a massive improvement in terms of efficiency. So, you’ll start saving money on your heating bills right away.

Poor or Inconsistent Heating Performance – The winter months can be quite chilly in the Virginia Beach area, and once your old furnace stops keeping you warm consistently, it’s usually time to think about replacing it. Usually, when a furnace that’s over 10 years old starts struggling to provide heat, it only continues to get worse until you make a change. This symptom can take several different forms. For example, it may start taking far longer for the house to warm up after turning on the heat. Alternatively, certain sections of your home may not receive any warm air at all. If you want to get your comfort back on track, investing in a new furnace may be your best option.

Frequent Mechanical Problems – Even when a furnace is relatively new, it may still have the occasional minor equipment problem. Usually, these issues will require relatively quick and affordable fixes. But as your furnace declines, it may start to encounter more and more mechanical issues. Even if the problems are small, having to pay for multiple repairs in a short amount of time can be quite a burden. Plus, the odds are that these problems will continue to get more serious and more frequent the longer you wait to replace the appliance. At a certain point, your money would be better spent on a new furnace than on another repair job.

Loud Noises – When a furnace makes loud noises during operation, it typically indicates that a component is malfunctioning, loose, or damaged. In some cases, it simply means that the furnace is having to work extremely hard to do its job. The sound you hear may be a booming, screeching, humming, whistling, or something else entirely. With an old furnace, persistent noises could be a sign that the appliance is deteriorating as it approaches the end of its productive life.

Abnormal Cycling – Another sign that a furnace is approaching the end of its life is unusual cycling patterns. A furnace’s heating cycle refers to the time it spends distributing warm air around the house. But when a component malfunctions, it may start cycling constantly throughout the day or cutting its cycles short at random. With an aging heating system, this is often a sign that it’s running out of steam and needs to be replaced.