We understand that purchasing a furnace may not be an immediate need, but it’s wise to learn the keys that will likely influence your choice when you are ready to buy. Below are the top 5 considerations that Finch Air Conditioning & Heating advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Like any type of appliance, as furnaces age, the potential for frequent heating repairs increase. If your heating equipment is over 15 years old, you might start to experience relatively expensive repairs. Some of the typical repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in Kingwood area homes today naturally influences your home energy bills, and the level of efficiency can vary tremendously depending upon the system you buy. Furnaces older than 15 years can be very inefficient, wasting up to 40% of the dollars you spend to heat your home. Even recently manufactured furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A properly maintained furnace will function more efficiently, decrease the likelihood of expensive repairs and most of all ensure your safety. Don’t forget, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point to mention is a properly maintained furnace will last longer before replacement is necessary.
4. Tune-up Checks
Finch Air Conditioning & Heating hears many questions concerning what truly can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many important 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 certified technician who has the education to perform a tune-up must maintain heating equipment once a year. To put it bluntly, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with old equipment are a couple of the more obvious indicators of a need to replace your furnace.
Out of control energy costs and the need to reduce energy consumption are also pressing reasons to weigh the replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst stated that nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Kingwood area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Finch Air Conditioning & Heating at 281-407-9478.