When Should I Replace My Cincinnati Furnace?

How do you know when it’s time to replace your Cincinnati home’s furnace?  At Nelson Comfort, we get asked that question a lot.  It’s an investment to purchase a new system, and homeowners want to know when they should pull the trigger.  Summer is a great season to consider it as you still have time to select a product and have it installed before it’s needed in the fall.

Here are three ways your furnace might be telling you it’s time to replace.

Age

Most furnaces have a useful life of somewhere between 15 and 20 years.  Professional maintenance can help extend that towards the longer edge of the span.  If your unit is getting close, it may be time to consider replacement.

Repair Costs Adding Up

Another sign your furnace might be on the way out is if it starts having frequent or costly breakdowns.  Homeowners want to know when the cost of a repair becomes not worth it.  This is usually a factor of how old the current furnace is and what the cost to get a new one will be.  A widely used rule of thumb is that if the cost of repairs is estimated at 50% or more of the cost of a new furnace, it’s time to replace.  This is generally true regardless of the age.

If the repairs are less expensive, then definitely factor in the age of the furnace.  The older the unit, the more open you should be to replacing it.  If the unit is close to the end of its useful life, then even a small repair is often a sign that more repairs will not be far behind.

Rising Bills

Maybe you haven’t seen any costly repairs, but have noticed that your heating bills have been going up over the years.  If your furnace is several years old and your usage is going up, it’s possible that it’s losing efficiency.  The trained professionals at Nelson Comfort are glad to assist in comparing rates of your current unit to newly available ones.

Weigh Them All

As you consider the choice of replacement, weigh each of those three components to help you decide.  Knowing the age and efficiency rates of your unit and the cost of needed repairs will give you the full picture.  Call the NATE-certified technicians at Nelson Comfort today to have any of your questions answered.

About The Author

Dan Detmer

Dan Detmer is the owner of Nelson Comfort. Dan was born into the heating and cooling industry, coming from a family of well respected HVAC contractors in Dayton, Ohio. After working in the family business, Dan decided to work for a local HVAC wholesale business helping local contractors grow their business. When he felt his heart moving him back into the residential and light commercial business, Dan joined the Mortimer Heating & Cooling team in Cincinnati, where he had called home and become part of the community for several years. After a short period of time Dan purchased the company and created what is today, Nelson Comfort. Today he operates a company based on integrity, honesty, and stellar customer service. If you have any questions feel free to tweet (at sign) NelsonComfort and we will get right back with you!