Winter is coming, and it’s coming fast. Here in Ohio, we all know that a lot of the autumn and spring seasons are just pre and post-winter, especially when it comes to the cold chill that tends to linger in the air. All of this means that having a heater that functions properly is pretty important.
How long has it been since you’ve taken a look at your heating system? While most HVAC units can last for quite a while, that doesn’t mean that a new furnace installation won’t be necessary as we approach the coldest time of the year. The older your current unit is, the higher the chance that you’ll need to replace it.
Of course, to get a definitive idea of that, then you’ll probably have to talk to an expert about it. Today, we’ll help guide you through that process, as well as let you know some warning signs that can give you an idea of whether or not you should get a new furnace this upcoming year.
Signs that there’s a Malfunction with Your Furnace
There are a lot of ways that we can tell that our heating system isn’t working properly. Some of them are a bit more subtle than others, of course, but many of them we can notice pretty much immediately. For instance, if there are strange smells or odors coming from the unit, then that may not be great.
While the smell of gas is pretty common when we turn on the heat for the first time each year, if it’s something different than that or if that smell persists for a long time, then you may want to call in a contractor. We certainly don’t want to end up with a gas explosion on our hands, and that’s one potential risk here.
Another thing to be on the watch for is if your unit isn’t turning on properly. If you have difficulty getting it started, then there could be something else afoot beneath the surface that you don’t necessarily see. As you can see in this article, the differences in air particles depending on the season can have an impact on how well your heater is running.
Pilot lights are something else that you’ll want to consider. You see, they exist as an indicator of sorts, so pay attention to the color that it’s showing. Green means that all is well but yellow or red are both warnings. Schedule an inspection with your contractor or installation company if either of those colors is showing.
The final one we’d like to discuss for now is if you’re noticing that there isn’t enough heat being emitted from your unit, and/or if the air quality in your home has become poor. Something that’s easily overlooked is the fact that HVAC includes “ventilation,” so if the ventilation system isn’t functioning properly, it can lead to poor air quality inside the home.
This can be harmful to those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma. This site: https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-triggers-causes/air-pollution-smog-asthma/, goes over some of the causes of this, but bad air quality inside the home can be dangerous as well, so it’s important to be on top of that sort of thing.
Is it Worth it to Replace a Furnace?
Naturally, this is the other big question that tends to come up in these discussions. At first glance, it can appear as though it’s more cost-effective to simply repair the unit that you currently have. However, this isn’t always the case.
With many older furnaces, it can actually be more expensive to get the necessary parts to repair them. Replacing them might be a better option in those circumstances. If you aren’t sure what would be best, though, that’s when it can be helpful to ask a professional for some advice.
There are a ton of contractors here in Ohio that can provide these services or offer consultations. They can assist you with sorting out what’s actually wrong with your unit, and whether or not it would be better financially to replace it entirely or to have repairs done. Again, this will really depend on the age of your unit as well as what’s broken.
The important thing is that you don’t try to do this sort of thing on your own. Although DIY might seem appealing at first, it comes with some serious risks to your entire HVAC system, your home, and yourself. Those gas explosions that we mentioned earlier are often a result of someone trying to tinker on their furnace without knowing what they were doing.
Unless you’re also a professional in this field, then it’s safer to leave it to the experts. Since there are a ton of them all around, you shouldn’t have any trouble doing so!
