We understand that not everyone may need a new furnace right now, but it’s smart to learn the keys that would impact your decision when you do need to buy a new one. Below are the top 5 considerations that Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Just like any appliance, as furnaces age, the likeliness of 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 Memphis area homes today can vary widely and has a direct correlation to the amount of money you pay your utility company each month. Furnaces older than 15 years can be very inefficient, with up to 40% of your heating dollars going out the window (in a manner of speaking). Even recently manufactured furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A properly maintained furnace will run more efficiently, lower the likelihood of expensive repairs and most of all ensure your safety. After all, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point to mention is a properly serviced furnace will last longer before replacement is needed.
4. Tune-up Checks
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning receives a lot of questions relating to what really 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
- Much more...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A certified technician who has the skill and hands-on experience to perform a tune-up must maintain heating equipment annually. Simply put, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with dated equipment are some of the more obvious signals of a need to replace your furnace.
Excessive energy costs and the need to reduce energy consumption are also pressing reasons to consider replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst shows nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Memphis area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning at 901-235-1196.