How Do I Know If My Furnace Needs to Be Replaced?

A healthy and comfortable home needs an efficient heating system that heats the house without using large amounts of energy or overtaxing the oxygen supply and endangering the air quality. So, you must be wondering now, “How do I know if my furnace needs to be replaced?”

Signs to Replace a Furnace

It’s important to know the furnace life expectancy to replace it on time. This article will help you to estimate when it is the right time to replace your furnace to avoid dangerous situations and higher expenses. Continue reading to learn the signs that tell you the life of a furnace is ending.

Average Life of a Furnace

How long does a gas furnace last? As doing a comparison is a good way to know the answer, we should wonder, then, how long do furnaces last on average? The average life of a furnace is between 16 and 20 years. Therefore, consider purchasing a new one if yours is close to this age or even older. Keep in mind that most people rather plan this replacement instead of buying it during an emergency. If you’re a beginner, you might wonder, “how do I know if my furnace needs to be replaced if I don’t know its exact age?” In this case, you can look at your furnace and see if it has a pilot light. Newer gas furnaces do not have a traditional pilot light that burns all the time, instead they use electronic ignition systems that light only as needed. If you have a constant flame, you have an older furnace that could be 10 to 25 years old.

Signs of Carbon Monoxide

Your furnace could be creating poisonous carbon monoxide if you see any of the following signs:

-  A flickering or yellow flame

- Excess of moisture on walls, windows, or other cold surfaces

- Streaks of soot around your furnace

- Rust on the portion of the vent pipe that’s visible from outside

- Excessive rusting on pipe connections or appliance jacks

- Absence of an upward draft in your chimney

- Water leaking from the base of the vent, chimney, or flue pipe

Presence of Carbon Monoxide Symptoms

As they age, one of the furnace problems is that cracks could appear in the heat exchanger and lead to the presence of carbon monoxide in your home. If so, common signs of its presence are frequent nausea, disorientation, headaches, and burning nose or eyes. If you feel any of these symptoms, open a window to the furnace room and call a gas service technician right away.

Thermostat Failure

Besides looking for cooling and heating solutions for your home, if you find yourself always adjusting your thermostat to feel comfortable in your house, the problem could be caused by your furnace. Also, if some rooms are too hot while others are too cold, it could be a sign of a furnace that needs replacement.

Higher Bills

If you’re asking yourself, “how do I know if my furnace needs to be replaced by looking at my bills?” you should know that gas and electric prices going up aren’t the only reasons for high bills. When furnaces haven’t been properly maintained, their efficiency tends to go down over the years. Therefore, an old furnace might run longer to provide the same amount of heat, which will lead to higher bills. The money you pay every month to the gas and electric company could be used to buy a new furnace instead.

Recurrent Furnace Repairs

In the last 2 years of their lives, furnaces need to be repaired for several times to keep them running. Another sign is that you’ll have to wait longer and longer to get its parts replaced. The older it gets, the more difficult it is to find replacements. Therefore, if this is your situation, you should consider purchasing a new one instead of repairing your furnace over and over again.

Weird Noises

Popping, rattling, banging or squealing noises start showing up when a furnace lifespan reaches its end. Also, if your blower turns off and on frequently, runs excessively, or blows cold air, it’s time to replace your furnace.

Dusty or Dry Home

If your house air feels stuffy, there’s dust accumulation, drooping plants, furniture cracking, static shocks, or musical instruments not staying in tune, these are signs that your furnace isn’t moisturizing and cleaning the air in your home. Moreover, if anyone in your family suffers from allergies, dry nose, or dry throat, you need to replace your old furnace.

Rule Of Thumb

You can always refer to the HVAC Rule of Thumb for Repair vs. Replace when it comes to your HVAC system and furnace. The replacement rule of thumb is relatively simple: if the cost of repairing your HVAC system exceeds half of its current value, then you're better off replacing that system with a newer one.