Spot the Signs of a Dying Furnace
Sadly, nothing lasts forever, and that includes your home furnace. There will inevitably come a day where your furnace just can’t keep going anymore and gives up the ghost, and chances are good that it’ll happen at the worst possible time. Find out how to spot the early warning signs that your furnace is on its way out, and save yourself the trouble and unexpected costs of replacing a dead furnace.
It’s an undeniable fact that in Canada our winters are no joke. Snow, ice, and sub-zero temperatures are just the way it is during the long and cold months of winter. Your home's furnace has the important job of making sure that our living spaces are livable, and that we are comfortable and cozy all winter long. However, when a home furnace gets too old, it begins to run the risk of developing functional issues that can decrease its efficiency. Eventually, it may cease operating entirely, which is definitely something that you don’t want to have happen in the middle of January.
If this happens, you’ll likely call in an HVAC technician to find out what’s wrong and get things running again. They may be able to fix the problem, but they may also discover issues inside the furnace that are too significant to be properly or safely repaired. In this case, they may legally be required to ‘red tag’ your furnace and lock it out. It’s an unfortunate situation, but there’s no way around it. You simply can’t be permitted to operate a gas-burning appliance like a furnace in your home if it’s not safe to do so. Hopefully it never gets to this point, but how can you prevent a situation like this from occurring?
It can be difficult to anticipate exactly when a furnace’s life will end, but there are common warning signs that can give you a clue that your home furnace is starting to reach the finish line. For starters, it’s good to understand what the typical lifespan for a home furnace unit looks like, as this is one of the most useful measures of determining when it might be time to install a new unit in your home.
How Long Do Home Furnaces Typically Last?
In general, most Canadians will get about 15 years out of an average furnace that’s regularly maintained. This timeframe can vary substantially due to a wide range of factors, with some furnaces needing replacement in as few as 10 years while others keep going well into the 20-25 year range.
Manufacturing Quality – Manufacturing quality is one of the most important factors that contribute to the lifespan of a home furnace. Not all manufacturers of home furnaces use the same parts in the assembly of their units, and even the smallest reduction in quality in key components can dramatically change the durability and reliability of the unit. Saving money by choosing a cheaper furnace may seem like a good idea at the time, but over the long-run, spending a little more is often an investment that proves to be quite beneficial.
Furnace Size – The size of the furnace itself can also be a major factor in determining how long it will last. Units that are too small for the home will need to run for longer periods of time at higher settings, causing more rapid wear on parts such as the burner. On the other hand, units that are too large will heat up the space too quickly and cause the furnace to shut off and turn back on much more frequently, which can also negatively affect the furnace’s durability. The furnace must be appropriately sized for the home in order to get the longest lifespan.
Frequency & Duration of Operation – Manually overriding the thermostat settings frequently to increase the temperature for short periods of time will increase the rate of wear on the furnace as well. Using smart thermostat programs and schedules will help the furnace operate more efficiently while maintaining a consistent comfort level in the home. Turning it on and off manually or frequently changing the temperature settings has a similar effect to having a furnace that’s too large or too small for the space. It may end up running constantly to keep up with the changing settings, or it may shut off and turn on far more often than it really needs to.
Regular Service & Maintenance – Even the best-quality furnace can have its life shortened if it’s not properly maintained according to the recommended schedule. On the flip side, an inexpensive furnace can last longer than you’d think if it’s inspected and serviced regularly. This includes having a licensed technician examine the furnace, cleaning the ducts of the home, and sticking to a proper schedule of furnace filter changes. When you take care of your furnace, it’ll pay you back with reliability and more value for your money.
Now, let’s assume that your furnace is a good quality unit, appropriately sized for your home, you change the filter according to schedule, and you’ve had it serviced regularly by a trusted expert. How can you know when your furnace is ready to be retired?
What Are the Signs That a Furnace Is Reaching End of Life?
Energy Bill Increases – One of the first signs that something is going on with your furnace is energy bills that steadily increase even when utility rates are stable and you’ve not made any significant changes to your thermostat settings. As components wear out in a furnace, they start to have to work harder to maintain the set comfort level in the home. This means the unit consumes more energy as it ages, decreasing the overall efficiency of the furnace and causing your utility bills to increase. If you’ve started to notice that your energy bills are increasing faster than utility rates are, it might be a sign your furnace is on its way out.
Constantly Operating – Do you hear your furnace running right now? When is the last time you remember it turning off once the house got to the right temperature? If a furnace is running all the time, but it didn’t used to do that, it can be an indicator that there’s a problem with the unit. It may be related to a faulty part or broken sensor, but it’s necessary to have it inspected by a licensed technician to find out for sure. This would be a good time to evaluate the current state of the furnace and determine if it’s time to replace it.
Inconsistent Temperatures – Are you noticing that the temperatures in your living spaces are frequently too hot or too cold for comfort? If so, your furnace may not have much time left. Dramatic swings in temperature, even when the thermostat is set with the same schedule it has always had, is a warning sign that the furnace is having trouble doing its job to keep your home consistently comfortable.
Noisy Operation – Loud buzzing, noisy fans, clunks, bumps and thumps are all bad sounds to hear coming from your furnace. These could be due to excessive wear on moving parts like fan bearings, electric motors, mechanical switches, and dampers. In any case, it shouldn’t be making noises like this, so a service call is definitely needed, because these are common indicators that a furnace is reaching the end of the road.
Frequent Service Calls – Do you find yourself picking up the phone to call your HVAC technician on a regular basis? Not good. If problems with your furnace are happening more often, and costing you more with each successive service call, it’s probably time to change it out with a new unit. There’s only so much life you can squeeze out of an old furnace before it just doesn’t make sense to repair it any more.
How Much Does A Furnace Replacement Typically Cost?
So, the time has come to replace your furnace, hasn’t it? We’re betting that the first question that popped into your head was, “How much is THIS going to cost me?”. It’s a good question, that’s for sure. While it’s tough to say exactly what you’ll spend on a new furnace without knowing more about your home, there are some ballpark numbers that can give you a general idea.
In most cases, an average furnace for an average home in Canada will cost about $5000, including installation. Naturally, if your home requires a larger furnace or you opt for a higher-quality unit, the costs will go up. The complexity of the installation will also influence the cost, so be sure to get multiple quotes before signing on the dotted line. Another factor that changes the cost of a new furnace is the type of fuel or energy it uses. Gas furnaces are the most common type, and usually the most affordable because of this. Oil furnaces and electric furnaces tend to be more expensive on average, but not dramatically so.
What Differences Will I Notice with a New Furnace?
When you do get a new furnace installed, there are several advantages you’ll notice when comparing it to your previous furnace. For starters, the new unit will certainly be more energy efficient. Modern furnace designs require less power to run, thanks to newer electronics and better components that operate with greater energy efficiency. This includes electric motors, gas burners, and other parts used in the construction of a typical home furnace. This means your energy bills will be a little easier to handle.
New furnaces will also be a lot quieter than older models. You may not even know that it’s running until you feel the warm air coming out of a vent. This reduction in operating noise helps to make your home quieter and more comfortable, particularly at night when loud noises are not appreciated while you’re trying to sleep. Today’s energy-efficient furnaces also help to reduce your overall carbon footprint, which you can feel good about. By using less energy to keep your home comfortable, you’re helping to be part of the solution for the environment.
Take Care of Your New Furnace with Quality Replacement Filters & Regular Maintenance
Now that you’ve got a fancy new furnace installed in your home, it’s your job to make sure that you get the most from your investment. This means changing out your furnace filter regularly to ensure the air in your home stays clean and free of airborne particles, while also keeping the flow of air through your furnace efficient and unrestricted.
For the best quality furnace filters at great prices, we’ve got you covered! Here at Dan the Filter Man, we also make it incredibly easy for you to stick to the recommended interval of furnace filter changes with our exclusive auto-ship subscription service. When you shop with us, you’ll be able to sign up for automatic filter replacement shipments that arrive at your home exactly when you need them. You’ll never need to worry about having a fresh filter for your furnace again, because we’ll make sure you’ve always got one ready.
Now, if it’s been a while since you’ve had your furnace inspected, you might want to get an appointment booked with an HVAC technician to have it checked out. Better safe than sorry!
