There comes a time in every machine’s life when you have to ask a critical question: do I fix it, or do I replace it? HVAC systems and the expensive equipment that are part of it are no different. Especially when it comes to your furnace, understanding whether to repair or replace is critical to saving money, reliability and safety. If your furnace is more than a decade old, then chances are you will encounter this problem in the near future. If you need some useful tips on whether you should replace or do furnace repair in Grand Rapids, MN, then take a look below for some helpful tips.
Considering the age of the furnace
The bottom line is that in most cases, there isn’t exactly a right or wrong answer. Occasionally HVAC contractors will assess a furnace that is so old and beyond repair, especially if the parts are rare and exceedingly expensive, that the contractor will practically refuse to repair the equipment and will strongly advise replacing it. Again though, this is a pretty rare situation.
In most cases, furnaces are in a stage where you can easily justify spending the money for furnace repair in Grand Rapids, MN, or you can shell out the cash and have a brand new one. Since most cases fall into this gray area, nothing beats asking a professional HVAC contractor yourself.
Cost versus efficiency
To get you started, determining whether to replace or repair your furnace comes down to cost and efficiency factors. Especially if you have a problem with your furnace, determining the exact cost of repair is critical before deciding to replace.
Basically this takes a great contractor—one who can offer a price quote and stick to it—as well as determining whether the equipment will continue to have problems or if everything else seems fine. In this case, a simple repair job might be in order. On the other hand, if the price of fixing is high, and the unit is old enough that a contractor suggests replacing several more parts, it may be time to price quote a new furnace all together.
If a broken furnace isn’t the issue, but efficiency is, again you may want to consider talking to a professional. Basically a contractor can assess the heating load of your house, take a look at costs of fuel, and see how efficient the furnace is. If savings from efficiency will eventually offset the costs of a new furnace, then you may want to consider replacement.
Efficiency isn’t always the best determining factor though, especially if you lose energy out of your house due to other factors like poor insulation. For this reason, you may want to have your utility company conduct an energy audit and provide suggestions on making your home more efficient. In some cases, this is less expensive than a new furnace and will provide similar savings.
Hopefully this guide got you started, the next step is to talk to a furnace repair specialist in Grand Rapids, MN about whether or not you should repair or replace your furnace when it starts giving you trouble!