How do you know that it’s time to have your furnace replaced? Generally, the first and most important warning sign is written right there on your utility bill!

If your home’s furnace is old and worn down, it’s stopped working at full capacity, and it’s probably wasting a great deal of the heat you pay for.  Remember, any piece of equipment that is so large, complicated, and important, furnaces require regular maintenance, and that’s not just our McHale’s Heating recommendation, either: all furnace manufacturers recommend that you have some form of tune up service done on the appliance once a year to prevent break down, gauge safety levels, and maximize the efficiency of your unit.  When was your last maintenance done?  If you haven’t been maintaining your furnace properly, you’ll start to see your utility bills rise to absurd levels, and it’s because  your furnace’s lifespan is coming to a close.

Think a furnace replacement is too expensive? Well, it’s really nothing in comparison to what you’re losing on each utility bill, and it will certainly not compare to the repair costs you will (or perhaps have already) incurred for repeated fixes.  Ultimately, having the replacement done before an emergency will actually save you money as well as prevent you the headache, discomfort, and inconvenience of having a broken furnace on the coldest week of the year — which is, of course, always when it happens.

Here are some signs that you should consider having a replacement done before you lose heating power in the middle of the frigid Pennsylvania winters:

• Visible Cracks or Corrosion– Having an old furnace with some impact of age damage isn’t just unsightly and inefficient, it’s a safety hazard.  Carbon monoxide is the result of incomplete combustion, and a broken heat exchanger might release that CO into your home.
• Furnace is Over 20-30 Years Old– As we just mentioned, furnaces have a lifespan.  If your furnace was in your home when you bought it two decades ago, you really need to have it replaced.  If you haven’t been maintaining it for the last 10, it’s possible that you’re on the verge of a furnace disaster right now.
• Excessive Soot/Dust– If your furnace is putting out dust, rust, soot, dirt, or some other form of exhaust, you could be dealing with a filter failure.
• Rising Utility Bills– Finally, as we said: the number 1 sign that your furnace needs saving is that your bill is going up even when you aren’t using any more heat.

Protect your family’s health and save yourself some money by replacing your furnace in September, rather than December.  You’ll never regret having a heating system that lasts you for many years to come and acting before there is a problem.  Call McHale’s for an estimate now!

By McHales