A well-functioning furnace is a necessity to keep your family comfortably warm and avoid mid-winter breakdowns or unnecessarily high heating costs. If you have concerns about how well your furnace is performing, the approaching end of winter is an ideal time to assess its efficiency and potential lifespan.
Here are some key factors to weigh to gauge furnace performance:
Energy Bills
Add up what you paid to operate your heating system this past winter, and compare the total to your costs for the same period during previous heating seasons. If you discover there's a trend of rising seasonal costs, that's not due to a rate increase or change in your heating habits, it can be a sign that the efficiency of your furnace is on the decline.
Reliability
Have you experienced an operational issue this winter, like a system shutdown due to overheating, or seen an increasing number of repairs in recent years? Problems like these are a warning that your heating equipment may not be fully reliable, and you may be unexpectedly left without heat next winter.
Air Distribution
Did you notice temperature inconsistencies between rooms, or a drop in warm air output from some registers this past winter? If so, it's advisable to have the duct system inspected this spring to identify any deficiencies like design flaws, disconnections, blockages, or a lack of proper sealing and insulating. Depending on the size and layout of your home, zoning may be recommended as an option to provide more consistent comfort control.
Equipment Age
The age of your heating equipment matters in terms of efficiency, reliability and safety. Older furnaces typically aren't as efficient as new units, so there's less heat produced for every fuel dollar spent. As heating equipment ages, its also more likely to need repeated repairs, and prone to heat exchanger deterioration that affects its safe operation. If your furnace is more than 15 years old, it's wise to get a professional opinion on whether it needs replacement.
For expert help assessing furnace performance in your Fort Wayne home, contact us today at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 260-376-2961.