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Johnny On the Spot Blog

The One Major Rule of Thumb for Replacing Your Furnace

Your furnace is reliable, but it’s starting to falter here and there. Maybe it’s a small repair, or it could look like it’s on its last leg. It’s hard to tell just by looking at it, and as homeowners, we can all jump to conclusions when dollar signs fly around and our quality of life hangs in the balance. So how do you know if it’s truly time to replace it?

We’ve handled tons of heating repair in Las Vegas, NV over the years and know whether it looks like a repair or replacement. If you think it might be time to get a new, high-efficiency furnace put in place, read this and we’ll help you out.

It’s Called the 50% Rule

The 50% rule dictates that if you get a repair bill that’s really high, around 50% or more than the cost of a brand new heater, you opt for the new heater instead of repairing the old furnace. This sounds like a big leap, but hear us out.

  • Your Furnace is Old: It’s not getting more efficient. If your furnace has hit the big double digit birthday (or gone beyond it), it’s not unreasonable to assume that it’s inefficient. Not only because furnace technology continues to improve over time, but because it’s been worn down for a decade.
  • It’s Not the Las Breakdown: Your furnace isn’t just going to work for a long time now because the repair is expensive. Another repair is just around the bend, maybe a year out, but what will the cost look like then? You’ll wish you’d gone with a brand new unit instead.
  • It’s Using Too Much Energy: Heaters have cycles, so when it kicks on, it has a certain amount of time that it runs for (on average) until you hit your desired temperature. That cycle gets longer when your furnace is inefficient, and inefficiency happens with wear and tear, which is just usage plus time. Longer cycles mean more energy to support them.

Repair Bill Under 50%? Here’s Another Reason to Replace It

So the bill isn’t quite as high as 50% for your repair. That’s great, but the bill might still be high enough that it has you scrambling to make a decision. Consider this before you make your pick.

The older your furnace is, the higher your energy bills will be. Furnaces also have an AFUE rating that defines, on a percentage basis, how much fuel is converted to heat that you can use. It’s never 100% since the combustion process is imperfect, but furnace technology has come a long way, and you can find 95%+ AFUE ratings on modern furnaces.

What does your furnace have? You might have a low 80% AFUE rating that’s burning a hole in your pocket every time you turn it on, and you might not even know it. Let us inspect it and find out for you, and see if a replacement makes sense for your ongoing expenses.

Let’s Replace That Furnace for You

If you’re ready to repair your furnace, we’re there for you, but if you do feel that a replacement is best, we can handle that project for you as well. All it takes is a phone call or a submission to our contact form here on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Contact us today to schedule your furnace replacement as soon as possible.

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