We understand that buying a new furnace may not be a priority in the immediate future, but it’s smart to learn the keys that will likely influence your choice when you are ready to buy. Below are the top 5 considerations that San Antonio Air Service Experts advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Just like any appliance, as furnaces age, the probability of frequent heating repairs increase. If your system is over 15 years old, those repair can be especially expensive. More common and costly repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in San Antonio area homes today vary significantly and their efficiency directly influences your utility bills. Furnaces older than 15 years can be terribly inefficient, wasting up to 40% of the dollars you spend to heat your home. Even newer furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A correctly maintained furnace will operate more efficiently, lower the likelihood of expensive repairs and most importantly ensure your safety. Remember, these are gas-fired appliances. Another point to mention is a properly maintained furnace will last longer before replacement is needed.
4. Tune-up Checks
San Antonio Air Service Experts receives a lot of questions concerning what actually can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many important checks and calibrations in the process:
- Gas Pressure and gas valve calibration
- Cleaning and checking safety switches
- Cleaning the heat exchanger
- Inspecting the heat exchanger for dangerous conditions
- Cleaning the blower system
- Cleaning and replacement of worn ignition sensors
- And many others...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A certified professional who has the education to perform a tune-up is needed to maintain heating equipment annually. Simply put, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with aged equipment are a couple of the more obvious indicators of a need to replace your furnace.
High energy costs and the desire to reduce energy consumption are also strong reasons to weigh the replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst suggested nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
San Antonio area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call San Antonio Air Service Experts at 210-570-9705.