Choosing Heating System Repair Vs. Replacement
The repair or replace question is one homeowners often face in multiple areas, and your furnace or heating system is a prime example. Many minor issues with a heating system can be remedied easily enough using basic repairs, but there are other cases where long-term damage or wear-and-tear may make replacing the system the more cost-effective and practical move.
At Accurate Air, we’re proud to offer numerous high-quality heating and furnace installation, replacement and repair services for all our clients – plus the expertise to help you determine which of these services is the best option for you when your heating system is performing poorly or failing. Here’s a quick primer on how we make this determination, plus some basics on when a heating system needs replacement and when repairs from our HVAC technicians will suffice.
Exhausting Your Repair Options
In cases where it’s realistic based on the issues your heater is experiencing, our first priority will always be to find a robust repair route. Repairs, as you likely assumed, are usually significantly less expensive than replacing the entire system, and if we find an issue that we know can be repaired fully – and will not simply return a few weeks or months later, prompting another repair – this will be the route we take.
However, this is not always the most cost-effective route. As we noted, some issues in heating systems won’t respond to repairs; in other cases, the system itself may be worn down so significantly that repairs are akin to putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. If this is the case, we will not recommend repairs that will actually end up costing you more than replacing the system in the long run.
Warranty Considerations
One major factor to keep in mind here: Your system’s warranty, whether from the manufacturer or a previous installer. Most heating systems that are under 10 years old will still be under warranty so long as they’ve had proper service over the years – not only might this affect the calculus on whether or not you lean toward repairs, this is a major incentive to call our HVAC pros for yearly inspections to ensure your warranty remains valid (many are voided if yearly service is not performed). In some cases, warranty coverage might even allow for replacement of the system at no cost to you.
Replacement Candidates
Generally speaking, replacement becomes a prime candidate for any heating system where the costs are comparable to repairs. These costs don’t necessarily have to be equal – even if the replacement is slightly costlier than repairs at the moment, the new heater is likely to bring you much greater value once it’s installed, easily making up the difference. In fact, in cases where any single repair would cost you at least half the price of a replacement heater, we’ll show you the basic math that suggests replacement is often the best move for both your home comfort and your bank account.
For more on when to repair versus replace your home’s heating system, or to learn about any of our HVAC maintenance or services, speak to the staff at Accurate Air today.
