The winters are fast approaching, and you don’t want to be caught with a heating unit that can go belly up on you anytime. But jumping the gun and buying one just because you are afraid of such an occurrence is not a wise financial decision. A good decision is that which is based on facts and correct assessment of the situation. So, the million-dollar question is, how would one come to know that its time to upgrade the home’s heating unit?
Signs It’s Time To Upgrade Your Home Heating Unit
If you are worried that your furnace is going to leave you high and dry this winter, here are some signs to look out for.
1. The Heating Unit Is More Than A Decade-Old – In case the heating unit installed in your home is more than 10 years old, it would be a safe bet to start looking for newer options. The life expectancy of these units is approximately 12 years. A unit made more than 10 years back is now fast becoming obsolete technology-wise. Getting its spare parts is already difficult, and very soon, it will become impossible. What you do get is costly enough to give you the financial jitters. Spending more to keep it running may not be in your best interest. After some time it becomes a money pit with no end in sight. No matter how much you invest, it will still demand more.
2. The Sound It Makes Are Creepy And Distracting – The groaning, squealing, and rattling sounds in the dead of night are enough to make anyone jittery. When you have to live with these noises because the heating unit is making them, it makes for sleepless and restless nights. The heating system is supposed to add to your comfort and not destroy it. Usually, wear and tear causes deterioration of different components of the unit. Due to this, sometimes they chip off, break, become loose, and start rubbing against each other. These deteriorations are the cause of the noise pollution in your home. No matter how many times you get the heating system repaired, still, there’s no joy. This is the time when thinking about upgrading is a better and more viable option.
3. Energy Bills Seems Like blowing Money In The Wind – As the home’s heating unit ages, its power consumption increases. Though if you are taking care of its annual maintenance diligently, the increase will be gradual, not sudden. Nonetheless, a day will come when the heating bills look similar to high-end expenses. You almost feel as if you are throwing more money in bills than the use and satisfaction you are deriving from the furnace. When the expense starts to outweigh the utility, the time has come to upgrade your home’s heating unit.
4. The Unit Demands More Attention Than An Errant Child – A unit that runs long hours suffers breakdowns and malfunctions. There is nothing unusual about it. But when the breakdowns increase in frequency, that’s not normal. The occurrence becomes a concern when the amount you spend annually in repairs increases each successive year, in leaps and bounds. If it happens because you are not taking care of its tune-up, the fault lies squarely in your court. While if it happens despite following a strict maintenance schedule, the problem is the heating unit. If left status quo, things are only going to go downhill. The unit has probably reached that phase in life when upgrading is the only sensible thing to do.
5. Home Oscillates Between Warm And Cold – The heating in the home oscillates like a yoyo between hot and cold for no good reason. If not that, some rooms, instead of being warm and cozy, are cold and uninviting even when the thermostat is in the correct settings. This could happen due to a problem with the ducts, but if that is not the case, it means that your heating system is acting up. Instead of providing even warmth throughout the house, it fluctuates between two extremes, unable to follow a fixed setting. Even after repairs, if there is no relief from this problem, it’s time to upgrade.
6. Air Indoors Is Too Dry – In winters, if you feel that the air indoors has become too dry, it means the furnace significantly draws away the moisture from the circulating air. However, the problem can get accentuated if your home has leaky ducts. To find the exact cause, an inspection of the ducts will help pin-point whether the whole and sole blame needs to land on faulty ducts or the furnace. If the culprit is found to be the heating system and one cannot find a solution to rectify the problem, upgrading to a new unit makes better sense.
Conclusion
There comes a time when every homeowner has to make a difficult choice between repair and replacement of their home’s heating system. Sometimes repair just means pouring more money into a unit that is already on the last leg of its journey. Recognizing the signs correctly at this time will help save money, which one would otherwise spend on repairs. A one-time up-front investment in a new heating unit will bring in much relief financially. The next time when you are in this dilemma of repair or upgrade, look out for the above-mentioned signs. The right decision at the right time will give you the comfort that you deserve.
The residents of West Palm Beach, Florida, can bank on Aztil Air Conditioning to make tough decisions easy. If you are unsure whether the time has come to upgrade the heating system installed in your home, book an appointment with our air experts. After a thorough inspection of the system, we will give you our complete and honest assessment. At this time, we shall be glad to answer all your concerns. Laden with facts and experience, we shall assist you in making the best and wisest decision. So waste time no more and give us a call at +1-888-729-8452.
