If your furnace breaks down unexpectedly, it can be hard making the determination if your furnace needs to be replaced or if it can still be repaired. Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if repair is still possible.

Has The Furnace Had Problems In The Past?

One thing to consider is how often you have problems with your furnace. Is this one of the first problems you have encountered with your furnace, or do you have a history of frequent repairs? If it's the latter, replacement may be the better option, since something is clearly wrong with your furnace if it requires frequent repairs. If it is the first time that your furnace is breaking down, have the furnace repaired because it likely has plenty of life left in it. 

How Old Is Your Furnace? 

You'll want to figure out how old your furnace is so that you can determine if it is approaching its life expectancy. Unfortunately, many homeowners did not install their current furnace since it came with the home when they bought it. You can figure out the age by looking for any metal plate with the serial number on it. This plate likely has the information about the month and year that the furnace was manufactured. While it may not be the exact month that the furnace was installed, it will give you a great idea of how old it is. 

A furnace that is between 15 and 20 years old is likely near the end of its lifespan. You could try to repair it, but it may break down with another problem soon after. If the furnace is newer than that, you can repair with confidence that you'll get many more years out of it. 

Is The Furnace Performing Well?

Stop and think about how well your furnace has been performing recently. Have you noticed that the furnace has to run for much longer to get your home to a comfortable temperature or that the furnace runs, but the heat that is being distributed doesn't feel as hot as it once did in the past? This could be an indication that your furnace is having problems distributing heat. If the furnace has been performing well up until it stopped working, you may one need to get a part replaced to get the unit up and running again

Reach out to an HVAC contractor for advice on furnace repair or replacement.