Having a good heater installed in your home is an important part of keeping your home comfortable throughout the winter. For many people, all it will take to get their homes ready for the winter is a professional maintenance appointment and any repair needs that appointment uncovers. For a few people, though, no amount of maintenance will be sufficient to keep the system functioning through the winter.
If you’re one of those people who doesn’t have a reliable heating system to use this winter, you may have to install a new one. Have a look at the following symptoms that indicate a need for a new heating system.
Unexplained Spikes in Heating Bills
How much your heating system costs to operate from month to month is obviously going to fluctuate depending on how much you use the system. If your heater starts to cost more than you think it should on a monthly basis, though, then you might have a problem.
As a heater ages, the wear and tear on the system gradually builds until it begins to negatively affect the efficiency of the system. The heater begins to operate for longer than it should in an attempt to make up for the lost efficiency, which in turn drives up the cost of heating on a monthly basis. If this turns out to be why your heater is having issues, there is little you can do aside from installing a new one.
Rising Repair Frequency
You are going to need to repair your heating system at some point, no matter what kind you’re using. This is to be expected. However, no heating system should need to be repaired all that frequently. If you need to have your system repaired multiple times a year, it’s time to consult with a professional.
This often happens because as a heater gets closer to the end of its life, parts of it will begin to fail in large groups. This will increase the frequency and severity of repair issues over time. You can keep paying to repair all of these parts if you want, but it will be much cheaper in the long run to just install an entirely new system.
Old Age
The average effective lifespan of a heater will vary slightly, depending on what heating type you’re using. For example, a boiler is one of the longer-lasting heater types at around 20 to 25 years. However, most heating systems can be expected to last around 15 years at most before becoming more trouble than they’re worth.
A heater that is past the age of 15 will often be rife with problems like those we’ve already discussed above. The older the system gets, the more it’s going to cost to keep up and running. Make sure that you consult with a professional to determine whether or not your system needs to be replaced.
Comfy Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. provides HVAC services in Oakland, CA. If you need a new heating system installed in your home, contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our technicians.