Furnace Repair Service

During the winter, when it is cold outside, it is quite essential to feel warm and comfortable at home. At that particular time, the proper functioning of your furnace is definitely important. How to understand that your home’s heating system needs to be repaired? Which option is better: repairing or replacing? In the article, we will try to answer these questions and help you if you are experiencing some issues.

Is it something wrong with your heating unit?

Usually, furnaces stay off for at least 6 months per year. And during this time, they can be damaged without you even realizing it. There is a list of common signs that might tell you it is something wrong with your heater unit.

1. Difficulties with turning on, multiple tries to start/restart your furnace during the day.
2. A strong odor of fuel does not go away over the time.
3. There is no heat or a low level of heat produced.
4. A blue pilot flame changes to another color. It may indicate problems with ventilation, especially when the pilot light appears yellow.
5. Floating dust in the air, poor air quality.
6. Heating bills are sufficiently higher than usual.
7. There are squealing or whistling, persistent noises.
8. The presence of noxious gases (a carbon-monoxide detector usually goes off immediately in this case).

If you are noticing some of these signs, call a NATE-certified, HVAC professional for furnace repair service. In some cases, it would be cheaper and easier just to replace the unit.

When do you need furnace repair service?

Nine times out of ten, troubles with a furnace can be easily repaired by an experienced technician. If your heater unit is relatively new (less than 10 years of expected system life), it is more likely that any issues with it can be solved through repair service. On top of that, as long as your heating bills remain the same and there is no uneven heating inside the house, it means your furnace is still operating efficiently. So, it is more affordable to repair it then to replace. As a rule, furnace repair should be less than one-third of the cost of a new heating system. Remember that even if there is a drop in heat producing capability, there are other options instead of replacing the furnace. Consider upgrading your thermostat or checking the working capacity of your duct-work. It may advance the efficiency of your heater unit.

When do you need furnace replacement?

Sometimes, repair service cannot fix all the problems with your heating system. The expected lifetime of most furnaces is 20 years at maximum. After this point, you are surely going to have more and more troubles with your heater unit. In this respect, when it is approaching 15 y.o., it is time to consider a replacement. Even if your furnace is not that old, but you continue to call HVAC service providers for maintenance and repairs, that is a sign. Although repairing might seem an easy option, if it is not helping to keep your heating system functioning for at least several years at a time, it can cost you more in the long haul. There is one more thing that indicates when furnace replacement is the best option for you. Those are installation conditions. If originally your heater unit was installed or sized improperly for your house size, it wouldn’t operate efficiently. In that case, you definitely should put on thinking cap replacement.