Furnaces don’t see nearly as much use as air conditioners do in the Inland Empire, where winters are mild and extremely brief. But we still need them during this time of year, when temperatures can get quite chilly (especially late at night). And it can be easy to overlook the signs of trouble with your furnace, especially if they don’t result in a flat-out shutdown. If you have an older furnace and you spot signs of trouble, you may want to consider replacing it before too much time goes by.
Is The Warranty Still Good?
The question of whether to replace your malfunctioning furnace starts with the status of the warranty. That covers the cost of the original parts of the furnace for a given period of time. Should the warranty still be good, then you should usually consider repairing your furnace instead of replacing it. Only when the warranty has expired and the trouble costs more to fix than the furnace is worth should replacement be an option.
Signs of Trouble
If your furnace isn’t functioning the way you normally expect it to, you should turn it off and plan for repairs. Common symptoms of trouble can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Strange noises that start and stop with the starting and the stopping of the furnace.
- Low air flow out of the vents
- Air that isn’t as warm as you expect.
- Unexpected spikes in the monthly bill.
- Sort cycling (turning on and off multiple times throughout the day).
- A heating system that refuses to turn on at all, even after you’ve checked the thermostat and breaker box.
If you spot these signs, turn off the furnace and call in a repair service immediately.
Repair or Replace?
If you call in a repair service and the warranty is still in effect, you’re usually better off repairing the system than replacing it. Even if the warranty has expired, however, repairs are still preferable so long as they don’t cost more than you feel the system is worth. If repairs are excessive, however – if you feel that the money would be better spent investing in a new system – then now might be a good time to put your old furnace out to pasture and install a new one.
The overall issue of cost can affect your decision in different ways, too. A comparatively inexpensive repair could still be worth investing in, especially if it will keep your heater running another few seasons. On the other hand, there doesn’t need to be a specific problem in order for you to decide that the older furnace is costing too much to run. If monthly heating costs have grown higher than you’d prefer to pay, you may want to think about replacing the heater: if not immediately (which lets you cut down on those bills for the rest of the winter) then sometime before the next heating season.
For quality heating replacement services in Riverside, CA, call RKM Heating and Air Conditioning today!