New York winters can put a great strain on any home heating system, so you might wonder how long you can expect your current furnace to last.
The good news is that furnaces are built to stand up to the type of weather New York can hurl at them during the winter, and the life expectancy for a gas or electric furnace is approximately the same as in most parts of the US that have cold winters. Let’s go deeper into the question of how long your furnace will last, when to replace it, and what to expect when that time comes.
Signs it might be time to replace your furnace
We recommend looking into replacing a gas furnace after you’ve had it for 15 years, and an electric furnace after 25 years. These are the points where age will overtake the system and begin to cut into energy efficiency and performance. Gas furnaces are more likely to develop safety hazards after 15 years, which is one of the best reasons to consider a replacement.
There are other signs to watch for that will tell you it’s time to call our technicians to examine your furnace and see if it’s ready for replacement:
- Your heating bills have steadily increased and repairs and maintenance haven’t reduced them.
- The frequency of repair needs has risen to where you need to repair it every year—or even more often.
- The furnace has started to create more noise when it operates.
- Heating around the house has become uneven, with cold spots appearing where they didn’t before.
How often should I change my furnace filter?
This is as good a time as any to mention the importance of the furnace’s filter. The filter protects the interior of the furnace from dust and debris coming through the return air ducts. The filter will clog over time and need to be replaced or else the strain it places on the furnace will lower its service life. We recommend changing the filter every one to three months when the HVAC system runs regularly. Stronger, more expensive filters will need fewer changes. If you don’t know how to change the filter, our technicians will show you during regular maintenance.
How long does a new furnace installation take?
If you decide that you need a new furnace, then the next step is to arrange for a furnace Installation in Brockport, NY with our team. You may be surprised to learn how fast we can do this job: depending on the complexity, it will take our installation team between 4 to 8 hours to get the old furnace removed (the most time-intensive part of the job) and the new one in place, hooked up, tested, and ready to go. We promise this isn’t rushing the job; we don’t take shortcuts because we know how critical a properly installed furnace is, and we’ll take special steps like combustion analysis. Only a professionally installed furnace will be able to reach its estimated service life while running as efficiently and safely as it’s supposed to.
Triple O Heating, Cooling, Electrical & Plumbing serves the Greater Rochester Area. We offer service so good, you will find a reason to call us.