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A home furnace is responsible for the climate comfort inside the home especially during the cold winter months. Ike any other home fixture, it will suffer wear and tear, and it is bound to end its life span. Typically furnaces last for at least ten years, some even work well way beyond those years. However, getting it to work way past its usual lifespan may mean increased utility costs because it will not be working as efficiently as the newer models.

A furnace keeps a home warm, but like any other home furnishing, it has an intended lifespan and will need to be upgraded. (Photo Credits)

So when should a homeowner upgrade his furnace?

When a homeowner is unaware of how old his furnace is because he has just bought the home and he failed to ask for the information, one of the best clues is how often it needs professional repair services. If the answer is none yet so far, then another tell-tale sign is the heating bill. If it is way too much without any changes is usage, then it may mean that the furnace is no longer as efficient as it should be as it requires so much power to heat the home to a comfortable level.

Homeguides SF Gate made the same point as it discussed home furnace upgrades in one of its online posts. It mentioned that efficiency should be one of the major reasons why a homeowner should decide to replace his old unit.

“A furnace 15 years old or older may have an AFUE (annualized fuel utilization efficiency) of 76 percent or less. The AFUE represents the percentage of fuel utilized to actually produce heat versus the amount lost in the combustion process. Switching the old-school unit for a new, high-efficiency furnace buys you an AFUE of 90 percent or more. The upfront sticker price is high, but that 21st-century unit starts saving gas from day one, and may pay for itself in a reasonable length of time from lowered gas bills.”

Check out the full article here.

Assessing the Need for an Upgrade

Home and Garden Television meanwhile shared tips that would clue a homeowner in as to when a furnace or an HVAC upgrade is due. Apart from ageing, and energy efficiency, they mentioned that a homeowner can smartly decide on the matter following an energy audit. Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association

“Before you spend thousands of dollars on a new heating or cooling system, it’s a good idea to check your house and your HVAC system for costly air leaks. This could be the root of the problem, and may be a lot less expensive to treat. It’s a good idea to start by having an energy assessment done on your home by an energy efficiency professional.”

The continuation of HGTV’s advice can be found here.

Upgrading a home furnace should be considered an investment decision. The purchase that a homeowner will make will have an impact on both comfort level and at the same time and the household budget.

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