We understand that purchasing a furnace may not be an immediate need, but it’s smart to learn the keys that will likely influence your choice when you are ready to buy. Below are the top 5 considerations that Becht/Givens Service Experts advises our customers to think about during their evaluation:
1. Heating Repair Frequency
Like any type of appliance, as furnaces age, the likeliness of heating repairs increase. If your system is over 15 years old, you might start to experience relatively expensive repairs. Costly, yet typical repairs include blower motor failures, ignition control failures and heat exchanger failures.
2. Operational Cost
The efficiency of gas furnaces in Louisville area homes today vary significantly and their efficiency directly influences your utility bills. Furnaces older than 15 years can be terribly inefficient, wasting up to 40% of the dollars you spend to heat your home. Even the latest models of furnaces can waste up to 20%.
3. System Maintenance
A correctly maintained furnace will operate more efficiently, decrease the likelihood of expensive repairs and above all ensure your safety. Don’t forget, these are gas-fired appliances. Another important point is a properly maintained furnace will last longer before replacement is needed.
4. Tune-up Checks
Becht/Givens Service Experts receives a lot of questions pertaining to what really can be done to tune-up or maintain a furnace and there are actually many essential checks and calibrations in the process:
- Gas Pressure and gas valve calibration
- Cleaning and checking safety switches
- Cleaning the heat exchanger
- Inspecting the heat exchanger for dangerous conditions
- Cleaning the blower system
- Cleaning and replacement of worn ignition sensors
- Others...
5. HVAC Maintenance Interval
A certified professional who has the skill and hands-on experience to perform a tune-up should maintain heating equipment annually. In short, without routine maintenance, frequent repairs combined with dated equipment are some of the more obvious indicators of a need to replace your furnace.
High energy costs and the need to reduce energy consumption are also strong reasons to consider replacement of your furnace. In fact, an independent study by Decision Analyst stated that nearly 20% of homeowners who recently replaced their furnace specifically did so to lower their utility bills.
Louisville area homeowners seeking more information are urged to call Becht/Givens Service Experts at 502-785-8230.