4 Key Signs It’s Time for a Furnace Replacement

The Farmer’s Almanac says the weatherlore phrase, “March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb,” is a very old folklore from Western Europe. While this may be an apt description of spring, the typical Texas winter is more like a lamb than a lion. That being said, winter nights are still cool, and the occasional winter blast reminds us that we still live in North America. The next few months require a furnace to keep us cozy and comfortable.

If your furnace has been struggling to keep you cozy and comfortable of late, it may cause you to question whether it needs repairs or should be replaced. Should you hang onto the HVAC system as long as it functions or plan steps to replace the system before winter arrives? Here are 4 indicators that a furnace replacement needs to be considered sooner than later.

Serious Smells

• Gas companies know that natural gas is odorless and colorless. They add a chemical, mercaptan, that smells like rotten eggs, to alert consumers of leaking gas. If you smell sulfur, evacuate the home immediately and wait until outside before calling the gas company. If rust has compromised the burner assembly, this needs to be repaired immediately.
• The exhaust from the combustion of natural gas results in water vapor, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of carbon monoxide. All these gases are odorless. If you have a natural gas furnace, your home should also have a carbon monoxide detector. You might be unable to smell the exhaust, but the CO detector will sniff it out and sound the warning. Evacuate the home immediately and turn the furnace OFF. Call your HVAC professional before restarting the furnace.
• Brief or lingering smells of hot or burning plastic indicate overheated electronics: the overheated components can start a fire. Turn the furnace off and call your HVAC professional before restarting the furnace.

All these problems require immediate repairs before continuing to use the furnace. These Furnace Replacement indicators, added to those listed below, can help a homeowner determine the extent of problems and repair costs.

Furnace Age

Central heat and air conditioning have been available for 80+ years, and sufficient research and experience advises that quality heating systems last about 20 years. That means:

• A homeowner may choose to keep an old system in place until it fails, requiring an emergency replacement. The planned delay may seem prudent, but an emergency replacement can be quite expensive and extremely inconvenient. The supply chain may determine which replacement units are available for installation in short order.
• A homeowner may choose to plan to replace the furnace system at a designated time. This grants a consumer to do research, shop for the right system and price, schedule the installation by a chosen professional, and replace the system before a catastrophic failure happens.

How old is your system? If you are not certain, find the serial/model number plate for the furnace and research the manufacturer’s date on the brand website. This will help you determine which course of action you will take and if it is time for a furnace replacement.

Collect Expenses

An old furnace may become too expensive to continue to maintain. Remember to add all the bills together to determine the true cost of operation versus a furnace replacement.

• Determine whether utility costs are rising from an inefficient furnace. Collect utility bills for the last few years and compare the number of kilowatt hours of electricity or cubic meters of natural gas from one year to the next.
• Collect the repair bills for the last 5 years. All repairs might be relatively inexpensive, but the total of the repair bills might be larger than expected.
• Often, a final repair or replacement of a major component becomes expensive enough to warrant replacing the furnace instead.

Poor Performance

An aging system may have a hard time keeping up with the call for heat. You might experience:

• Frequent heating cycles with short or no rest breaks.
• Cold spots, often at the end of duct runs.
• Poor indoor air quality and large quantities of dust on surfaces.

Keep Your Home and Family Comfortable with a Furnace Replacement

For more information about R.M. Mullinix and our furnace replacement services, schedule an appointment or visit our furnace replacement and installation information page.