“Do I Need a New Furnace?” 5 Signs That Point to “Yes”

It’s a tough call.

Do you give your current furnace a few more years or do you give it the Old Yeller treatment and upgrade to a new one?

Here are 5 signs that you should consider replacing your furnace with a higher efficiency model.

1) Your furnace is 15-20 years old

According to the National Association of Home Builders, gas furnaces, on average, last 15-20 years.

How to figure out your furnace’s age:

• Look on the furnace itself; there may be an installation year written on it by the contractor.
• Check your owner’s manual.
• Find the model number and call the manufacturer to find out when the furnace was made.

2) Repairing the furnace costs too much relative to furnace’s age

Many people ask, “Do I need a new furnace?” when the furnace breaks down, and they’re faced with a costly furnace repair. 

So how expensive is too expensive to repair?

We could give you a rule of thumb. But it’s really up to you. Just keep in mind how old the furnace is. The older the furnace, the less you should tolerate paying for expensive repairs.

We advise you to call at least 3 heating contractors and get a repair and replacement estimate from each of them. 

Getting a replacement estimate will be much easier if you know what kind of furnace you want to replace your old one.

Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Buying a New Furnace for help with that.

3) High frequency of repairs 

Furnaces should rarely need repairing. If yours keeps causing you trouble, that’s a sign it’s ready for retirement. 

4) Higher energy bills (while usage stays the same)

If you’ve noticed a steady increase in your heating bills (even though you have not changed your thermostat settings much) your furnace may be to blame.

Log in to the online account you have with your utility company. There should be an option showing you how much you’ve been paying over time. A noticeable upwards trend could be a sign that your furnace has become less efficient. 

Of course, other problems could be to blame (high gas prices, leaky ducts, etc) but it’s still worth checking out.

5) You’re having comfort issues

Do any of these sound familiar?

• There are cold spots around your home.
• Furnace cycles on and off too often.
• Your home is too dry.
• Your furnace blows excessive dust, soot, dirt or rust particles out the supply vents.

All of these affect how comfortable you are. And all of them point to a furnace that needs replacing soon.

Need more help? Talk to one of our heating experts for an opinion customized to your exact situation.

Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing, Heating and Air has served the Twin Cities since 1918.