We rarely notice the furnaces in our Greenwood homes until they start getting older. After all, they work without much attention, keeping us comfy all winter long. If you’re noticing the furnace, it’s probably because it doesn’t seem to be heating as effectively … or it has started to make strange noises … or something just doesn’t smell right. Like other home appliances, furnaces reach an age where they just don’t work as well or have started breaking down more frequently. Is it time to think about replacing your Greenwood home’s furnace?
How old is your furnace?
Generally, a furnace in a Greenwood home that’s been well cared for with regular maintenance visits can be expected to provide 15 to 20 years of reliable performance. If your home’s furnace is nearing its teenage years, it may be a good idea to ask one of our furnace experts to evaluate its efficiency and performance. If it’s not working as well as it did when it was installed, that’s a sign you may want to think about a replacement.
How’s its reliability?
As furnaces near the end of their service life, parts may start to wear out. That’s why it’s not unusual for older furnaces to suffer breakdowns or start making unpleasant noises. If your Greenwood home’s furnace has broken down a couple times in the last couple years, it may be telling you it needs to be replaced. Before you invest a lot of money in a major repair, ask us for a realistic estimate of its remaining service life. You may want to replace it with a newer, more reliable model before it breaks down for good.
Are your energy bills increasing?
Another sign that a furnace may need to be replaced is if you’ve noticed a sharp increase in your energy bills. A furnace’s energy efficiency often drops off as it nears the end of its service life. Replacing it with one of today’s high-efficiency models may seem like a large investment, but you’re likely to experience a significant drop in the amount of energy you need to keep your Greenwood home comfortable.
Is your home’s heat even?
We’ve talked with a lot of Greenwood homeowners about their satisfaction (or lack of) with their home’s comfort. Almost always, they’ll talk about some issue that frustrates them. Sometimes it’s a room that never gets toasty enough on a chilly January day. Often, it’s a drafty feeling, in which one part of a room feels frigid while another part is like being in a tropical jungle. Furnace technology has improved tremendously since your current unit was manufactured. Technologies like variable-speed blower motors and zone controls can help you adjust comfort from room to room.
Is your furnace bothering your senses?
Does your furnace make clunky or weird noises that wake you up in the middle of the night and leave you wondering if it’s really safe? Have you noticed strange burning or mildew-like smells when the heat goes on? Does your heating system aggravate your allergies? A furnace should add to the comfort of your Greenwood home, not deliver annoyances and create worries that keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.
How’s your home’s air quality?
Your Greenwood home’s furnace plays a critical role in the quality of the air you and your family breathe. You want that air to be as clean and safe as possible, and a newer furnace offers a great way to accomplish that – especially with today’s choices for advanced filtration and purification. The easiest way to improve your home’s air quality is to make sure you’re changing the furnace filter at the recommended intervals.
Aren’t replacement furnaces expensive?
We know that everything from the price of eggs to the cost of vehicles has been going through the roof. If it’s been a long time since you purchased a furnace, you might be surprised at the cost. But let our experts show you how the improved efficiency of today’s modern furnaces can offset the installation cost over just a few years. They can also share information about incentives from manufacturers and energy providers that may lower your total cost.
Turn to the furnace experts
Want a professional opinion of whether it’s time to think about replacing your Greenwood home’s furnace? Do what your neighbors have done and turn to the experts at Johnson Comfort. We’ll be happy to come to your home at a convenient time and assess the furnace’s condition. We’ll also ask you about any comfort issues, because if your home doesn’t feel as warm and comfy as you wish, replacing your current furnace with a newer model might be the smartest answer. But if it looks like you can count on that furnace for years to come, we’ll let you know!
