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When to Replace Your Furnace

By Ygrene on October 1, 2019

When the temperatures start to dip, there’s nothing better than cozying up and watching the frosty winterscape from the safety and comfort of your warm home. Your furnace is what keeps your home heated and comfortable during those cooler months. Furnaces are essential to any home and will be noticed when it stops working especially during a cold snap. Proper maintenance can keep it running for years but there is a point you will need to replace your furnace.

There are signs to look for that indicate when time to replace your furnace. One of them is inconsistent heating. Your home may feel fine throughout the day but if there are fluctuations in temperature that’s time to begin thinking about furnace replacement. The other sign is the complete ceasing of operations. If your furnace has stopped working multiple times, you’ll need to replace it.

We’ve assembled a guide to help you better understand when to replace your furnace, its typical lifespan, and the costs to replace it.

Continue reading to learn important details about furnaces and furnace replacement such as:

How Long Does a Furnace Last?

According to the National Association of Homebuilders and Bank of America, the average furnace lasts between 15 and 20 years. These age ranges are evaluated with a furnace that has been well maintained and serviced. Others may need to be replaced sooner. That said, age isn’t the only consideration when you evaluate when to replace a furnace.

Signs To Look For When Evaluating Furnace Replacement

  1. Older than 15 years: When your furnace is nearing the end of its operational life, it’s probably becoming less efficient and more expensive to maintain. Assess your maintenance bills to see if there’s an escalating number of maintenance calls.
  2. Higher energy bills: Are your energy bills suddenly higher than usual despite no change in your home’s temperature setting or a colder than usual season? This is a sign to consider furnace replacement.
  3. Costly repairs: If repairs are extremely expensive, you may find it makes more sense to upgrade. While a replacement furnace might cost more at the outset, the long term savings of a more efficient system may be worth it.
  4. Inconsistent temperatures: There are few things more uncomfortable than being cold in your own home. If you’re dealing with hot and cold spots throughout the interior of your house, that’s a telltale sign your furnace isn’t efficiently delivering hot air throughout your home.
  5. Excessive soot or dirt: Maintaining your furnace will remove excess soot or dirt. If you find soot or dirt builds up soon after you maintain it it’s a sign your furnace could be on its last use cycle.
  6. Cracks or corrosion: If there are signs of obvious disintegration on the outside of your furnace, it’s important to get it taken care of before it becomes a serious hazard. A repair may be costly and not make economic sense especially if a higher efficiency and new replacement furnace is available.
  7. Noisy: As your furnace gets older, components may become less stable because of the hot and cold cycles they go through. This causes furnaces to become noisy during operation. A noisy furnace is not so easy to ignore. Rattling, humming, popping or screeching noises are not just annoying, they’re also signs telling you it’s time for furnace replacement.

Simple Furnace Repairs

Furnace repair and maintenance can be done by you or a professional. The level of difficulty of the repair or maintenance and your skill level will determine who is best suited for the job. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and consult a professional.

We put together a list of DIY repairs and assessments that can be tackled over a weekend if needed.

  • No heat: The simplest solution here is checking your thermostat. You might need to change out the batteries for it to work again. You may also need to check the breaker to see if a switch was tripped.
  • Not enough heat: This might be due to a clogged filter. In most cases, you can simply replace the filter yourself.
  • Dust build-up: It’s important not to crowd your furnace with poorly-placed furniture or objects. Not only can this be a dangerous hazard, but it can also encourage dust that clogs air filters prematurely.
  • Yellow flames: The flames in your furnace should be blue and even, if they’re yellow, your burners are likely dirty. Your burners should be cleaned on an annual basis or replaced if they’re in a bad condition.
  • Rapid cycling: If your furnace is turning on and off too quickly, this may mean there’s a filter issue. Try replacing it. But if that doesn’t fix the problem, it’s time to call in a professional.
  • Noise: Sometimes, excessive furnace noise can be due to your ductwork. Try insulating them to see if that stops the issue.
  • Smelling gas: Be careful, this could indicate a gas leak. If it’s a strong smell, it’s advised that you leave your home immediately and contact your utility company to resolve this issue.

What are the Benefits of Replacing a Furnace?

Investing in a high-efficiency furnace, has a higher upfront cost but long term benefits. The lifetime savings of these units can be between $1, 241 and $1, 443 according to energy.gov website. You can evaluate a purchase of a new furnace by considering how much repairs, ongoing maintenance, and energy use of the old furnace will cost vs. the cost of a new furnace. Assessing the long term economic impact is important to determine when to replace a furnace.

Additional benefits of furnace replacement are a reduction in your energy bills, temperature stability in your home, and peace-of-mind knowing your home will be running optimally for decades to come.

You can expect a brand new furnace to last between 15-30 years. Its lifespan will be affected by the model you choose, how well it’s maintained, and other variables like your local climate.

How to Choose a New Furnace

Choosing a new furnace can be a daunting task and there are important items to understand before you visit your local hardware store or visit their website. We’ll outline considerations you should take into account as you begin shopping for your furnace replacement project.

Size of the Furnace

Size is an overlooked factor when shopping for a new furnace. Each home is unique and the location of your furnace will determine the size you can buy. Some homes may have them in their attached garage, others will have them in the attic, and others will have them in a basement. Prior to starting the furnace replacement project, measure the space where your current furnace is located and take into consideration where pipes or other inlet/outlets are located.

Fuel Efficiency

According to Energy.gov,older furnace models have efficiency ranges of 56%-70% AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) while more modern units can achieve much higher efficiency rates of up to 98.5% AFUE. A higher AFUE means that more fuel is turned into heat. As a result of using fuel more efficiently, a furnace upgrade can reduce your utility bills and your furnace’s pollution emissions by half.

The pursuit of fuel efficiency shouldn’t be the determining factor for which model to buy when replacing your furnace. You have to take into account your geographic location and the weather conditions that you have. Places like the South West have a milder climate and operate efficiently with a furnace of 80% AFUE. The North East where temperatures can dip well below freezing benefit from a furnace with 90% AFUE to heat the entire home rapidly and efficiently.

Types of Furnace and Installation Cost

A major factor that will affect the cost of furnace replacement is the type of furnace you choose. There are three main types of furnaces based on the fuel used: electric, gas, and oil. Each type has their advantages and disadvantages. The type of fuel will also be determined by your geographical location and fuel rates. Below are the three types of furnaces:

  • Electric: Electric furnaces use electric heating elements to create heat that is transferred to the air. They’re typically more inexpensive and cheaper up front in terms of cost but the least efficient. These types of furnaces work well in areas where electricity is affordable and easily accessible.
  • Gas: This is the most common type of furnace in homes today. It works by leveraging hot gas that heats the air while fans circulate the hot air through your ductwork. You’ll often find gas furnaces throughout cities and areas where gas lines are common and efficient.
  • Oil: In an oil furnace, oil is converted into heat. These types of furnaces are often found in rural areas where gas isn’t as abundant or gas lines are not available. Oil furnaces are commonly found in the Northeast areas where homes are older and don’t have gas lines.

Pricing of installation is a hard number to pinpoint because each region in the U.S. is different. We averaged out what the typical cost of hardware and installation will be depending on the efficiency and type of furnace chosen for the furnace replacement. If you’d like a more accurate estimate, you can contact a Ygrene contractorto get a personalized estimate.

  • Electric furnace
    • High efficiency: about $4, 410
    • Standard efficiency: about $1, 925
  • Gas furnace
    • High efficiency: about $4, 625
    • Standard efficiency: about $2, 100
  • Oil furnace
    • High efficiency: about $6, 480
    • Standard efficiency: about $2, 885

Should I Also Replace My HVAC?

Your furnace is just one part of your HVAC system. HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and your furnace makes up the “heating” part of your HVAC system. Depending on the condition of your HVAC system, it’s worth it to overhaul all of it. Before you make the commitment to replacing your entire system, you should consider getting an energy audit to see where energy leaks are occurring within your home. Your audit might even be subsidized by your utility company or local governing body depending on your residential area.

If the AC unit and ductwork are also worse for wear like your furnace, it’s a good time to consider investing in new ductwork to ensure your home is as efficient as possible. Plus, it may add to your overall property value and lower your carbon footprint at the same time. It’s a win-win situation for the environment and you and your family.

While the cost to replace a full HVAC system can be up to $10, 000 to $14, 000, it’s a purchase that will increase your quality of life, a priceless feature that isn’t necessarily reflected in the cold, hard numbers.

Stay Warm and Comfortable This Winter

If you’re ready to invest in a new furnace but you’re reconsidering because of cost, Ygrene can help. With PACE financing, you can get a new furnace that saves you money and more importantly, keeps you and your family comfortable. Don’t grit your teeth through another winter dealing with yet another cold spot in your home, it’s time to upgrade to a healthier, modern unit.

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