Furnaces keep you warm and cozy at home, but like all appliances, they do not last forever. Most HVAC companies offer furnace replacement services, and it is not hard to hire one to come to remove your old furnace and put a new one into place. However, you have to know the right time to do this. And the ideal right time is not when your furnace has already failed and left you without heat! Here are some earlier signs you need to have your furnace replaced. 

It is more than a decade old

It is not unusual for furnaces to last longer than a decade, but this does tend to be the time period after which they start quitting and requiring more repairs. If your furnace is more than ten years old, replacing it at this stage will allow you to avoid two of the hardships that come with having an older furnace: always needing repairs, and a loss of energy efficiency. It can be a comfort knowing that you have a nice, new furnace that will not need repairs any time soon, and that will not rip through fuel or electricity.

It is driving your energy bills up

Furnaces were not made to be as efficient years ago as they are now. But also, as furnaces age, they tend to experience a loss of efficiency. So, if your furnace burned ten units of fuel a few years ago, it may now burn through thirteen, and without producing any additional heat. The added cost of fuel can make operating an old furnace pretty expensive over the years. So, when you notice this decrease in efficiency, the most money-saving move you can make is to replace it pretty soon.

It is making noises while operating

People often assume that if their furnace is still blowing warm air, everything is okay. But if the furnace is blowing warm air and making noises, it is not, in fact, okay. Some small part is likely broken. It could be a ball bearing, or it could be a fan blade. Either way, these small issues only get worse when you ignore them. Replacing an old, noisy furnace is better than replacing an old, non-functional furnace while you shiver in the cold.

If you think the time has come to replace your furnace, reach out to a heating replacement service to learn more about the process.