Your home furnace is something you should never joke around with. Whether your home is old or brand new, keeping on top of your furnace’s health is one of the smartest and easiest energy saving tips you can use to protect your home. Whether you use the best Richmond HVAC companies to make sure your furnace is working as it should be, or you rely on your own maintenance, you need to know the signs of a well-functioning furnace as well as the warning signs of a boiler that’s about to blow. Whatever you do, you simply can’t afford to ignore the signs and symptoms of a furnace that isn’t doing too well. Before you call in your HVAC company, here are a few things to be aware of when checking your furnace.
Your Furnace is Too Old
Even the most well-built furnace can’t and won’t last forever. Generally, a furnace has a lifespan of about 16 to 20 years. After that, its function weakens and could end up creating big problems for you and your household. If you’ve moved into a house that you know is significantly older, you should always ask about the lifespan and health of the furnace beforehand. Furnace repair can end up costing a lot of money, and you don’t want to move into a new place just to get saddled with expensive home repair bills. Instead, make sure you’re moving into a place that’s in excellent shape. If you’ve been living in the same place for a while and you feel like your furnace is reaching its expiration date, make sure to make the call to your repair person far in advance. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to take care of this issue.
Your Energy Bills are Too High
Nobody likes paying more than they have to, especially when it comes to energy bills. It’s hard enough to adequately heat and cool a single household without having to worry about furnace trouble. However, if you feel like you’re paying way more than you should be, your furnace could be to blame. When your furnace gets too old, it stops functioning as efficiently as it once did. That’s why it’s so important to catch it before it starts costing you tons of money. When your HVAC system isn’t working properly, it ends up expending the same amount of energy to do a poor job of heating and cooling your home. So if you’re continually cranking up the heat but can’t feel any real difference, you may have more than just your leaky windows to blame. Before you do anything else, call your HVAC repair person and have them make sure you’re not overpaying for bad service.
You Need to Replace Parts
Even new furnaces go on the blink every now and then. However, when older furnaces start needing their parts replaced, it might be time to trade in your old model for something newer. While a regular repair might not seem like a big deal, it’s a good idea to pay attention to what kind of repairs you’re actually doing. For instance, while replacing a smaller part like a screw might not be a big deal, you don’t want it to get to the point where you need a new flame sensor or control board. If you’ve had a part replaced recently and your furnace is getting on in years, you might want to think twice before spending money on another costly repair. Instead, think about investing in a new furnace. The price might seem staggering at the outset, but think about how much money you’ll save in electricity bills down the line. A furnace is a big investment in the safety of your home, much like a new roof or replacement windows. You owe it to yourself to replace it before it puts your home in danger.
You’re Noticing Noise and Dryness
When your furnace starts making noise, it’s usually a sign that something’s up. While you might be used to hearing clanking or bumping noises around the house, especially if you have an older heating system, you shouldn’t ignore any loud noises coming directly from your furnace rather than your pipes. A talkative furnace is, more often than not, an unhappy, and thus dangerous, furnace. Avoid problems by making sure that any clanking you hear is totally harmless instead of ignoring it off the bat. If you’re also feeling like the air inside your home in uncommonly dry, your furnace could be to blame. Call in an HVAC technician to make sure your furnace is actually doing its job.