The heater for your home is about to go on a long break as the warm weather settles in for the middle of the year. There isn’t much you need to do to shut down a heating system for summer. Make sure that it doesn’t have any leftover repair issues, and if it does, call us for heater repair in Union Township, NJ. Trust us, you want any malfunctions taken care of, no matter the season!
But what if those heater repairs are just delaying the point when it’s going to break down? If you have an old heating system that you suspect doesn’t have many more years of life left to it, then spring is an ideal time to arrange to have a new heater put in. The big question is “repair or replace?” It’s often the most important decision you’ll have to make about your heating system, since it will have a large impact on your comfort and your budget—a negative impact if you end up making the wrong choice!
But we’re here to help you make the right choice! Below are some guidelines to help you start thinking about “Repair vs. Replace.”
The Heater’s Age
How long should the average residential heating system last? There’s no single answer to this question because of the different types of heaters and the amount of use they go through. But we can make a few generalizations. Gas furnaces can often last up to and sometimes beyond 15 years, with electric furnaces going a few years longer. Heat pumps tend to fall into a 10 to 15 year range, while gas boilers often run past 10 years. We think of 15 years as being the point when you should start being cautious about your heater to see if it suffers from a drop in efficiency.
Energy Efficiency
Speaking of which, a drop in the efficiency of the system that results in steeper bills is one of the biggest warnings you have a dying heater. A residential heating system should retain 95% of its energy efficiency for most of its lifespan (provided it received annual maintenance). So when efficiency starts to plunge, it tends to mean the lifespan is close to the end.
Repair After Repair After Repair
If repairs are getting so frequent that you’re thinking of putting our technicians on your annual Christmas card list—that may be too many repairs! (We don’t mind you thinking of us as friends, however! We encourage forging good relationship with customers.) You shouldn’t need repairs more than once a year for your heater, or have to pay more than $500 annually in repair costs to keep the house warm. It’s more cost effective to have a new heater.
The Heater Is Noise Pollution
An occasional weird sound from the heater is a sign for a repair. A heater that makes a racket as it rungs—grinding, shrieking, clanging, rumbling—usually means everything is wearing down and it’s time to scrap the old heater.
Get started with answering the “repair or replace” question by making an appointment with our heating experts!
Air Creations, Inc. serves Central and Northern New Jersey. “We Do It Right!” since 1987.
