This time of year, it’s important to make sure your gas furnace is working safely and efficiently. Here are some warning signs that may indicate your home heating system needs replacing:
- Your system does not effectively warm your home
- Your system is more than 12-15 years old
- It requires frequent repairs
- There’s noticeably poor air quality in your home, such as irregular smells or increased respiratory irritation of tenants
- Your heater cycles on and off irregularly
- Your energy bills are significantly increasing
- Your unit makes consistent or unusual noises when running
Benefits of a new furnace:
One of the most obvious benefits of replacing an old furnace with a new one is energy efficiency. Higher efficiency means you can save energy and money on your monthly electricity bill, and put less stress on the environment. New furnaces also have more safety controls and sensors than older furnaces.
What to consider when shopping for a new furnace:
System size
Installing the right size furnace is essential to the efficiency, reliability, comfort and ongoing costs of heating your home. A qualified contractor can perform a full home assessment to determine the right size system for your home. This is important because an oversized furnace will cycle on and off too frequently, require more maintenance and repairs and ultimately fail much sooner than a properly sized furnace.
Efficiency rating
Furnaces with AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) ratings between 90 percent and 95 percent are considered “high efficiency” furnaces and can cost more up front, but can save you in the long run. Many of these high efficiency systems are eligible for rebates from your local utility company (up to $400 in some areas!)
Programmable thermostat & smart controls
A programmable thermostat is one of the most popular selling points for furnaces on the market today. It allows you to program the temperature of your home based on your personal schedule. For example, if you spend several hours each day out of the house, you can set the temperature to be a little cooler during that time and set it to warm up shortly before you return home.
Smart controls go beyond just adjusting temperature and also monitor other qualities, such as outdoor temperature, humidity levels and energy efficiency. They also provide you with important alerts, such as when to change your filter.
There’s a wide variety of furnaces available on the market, and these are only a few of the features to consider when shopping for a new one. It’s best to seek advice from a professional when choosing a furnace and having it installed.
Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance!
Warm regards,
Mike
