As the mercury continues to go lower, one of your primary concerns is to make sure that your home’s furnace is functioning properly come winter time.
Often, property owners are confronted with a tough choice when it comes to the furnaces installed in their homes: either to have their current system repaired or to purchase and have a new system installed. The choice between upgrading and furnace repair, Toronto locals ought to know, is a question that cannot be easily answered without accounting for a few important factors.
Some people are unaware that most furnaces have an average lifespan that can last somewhere between 12 and 20 years, depending on the manufacturer as well as the system’s maintenance program, or lack thereof. If you are thinking of upgrading to a new system instead of having the current one installed in your home repaired, you have to take into account two important factors.
One reason that you should consider upgrading is the fact that you have a system that has not been functioning optimally and you have had a red tag from the gas utility company. Next, you should consider replacing your current system if it is way past its lifespan and your energy bills have been steadily climbing in recent months or years, and the overall expense outweighs the benefits.
In order to make a better decision, it is worthwhile to consider a few real-life scenarios.
For example, if your current furnace is younger than eight years and the cost of repairing it is below $400, furnace repair might be the better option. However, if the cost of repair is $500 or more, you will fare better by upgrading to a new system that is more energy efficient.
If your furnace is under 10 years and needs repair, upgrading is the better solution. However, if the system is functioning optimally and shows no signs of a problem, consider upgrading at a later time. However, you should make sure that the system is regularly maintained.
If you have a furnace that is older than 10 years, even if it is still functioning properly, it would be prudent to make plans about upgrading to a new system.
If you are still uncertain about whether upgrading is the best option for you, or if you are thinking about the amount of money you need to invest, consider this fact: You can end up saving more money over the long term. The new furnaces available in the market have several advantages over their older counterparts.
For one, they have higher energy efficiency levels, often hovering between 96 to 98 percent. This means that you can save money on energy bills and even maintenance. Furthermore, newer models do not lose their efficiency over time, unlike older models. Finally, most of these systems come with warranties on labour and parts, and some have lifetime unit replacement warranties.