Your Furnace May be Trying to Tell You Something…
It really is hard to imagine that once upon a time, HEAT, was considered a scarce luxury. Now we largely consider heat in a home as a basic necessity.
While heat can come from a variety of options today we are going to be focusing on the lavish life of a furnace… That sweet central heating. These inspection insights are going to be about what kinds of furnaces we would expect to find in homes, what kind of problems may arise during a furnaces life time and most importantly what kind of maintenance can be done regularly to ensure you get the most out of your furnace.
Lets discuss…
Different kinds of furnaces:
Natural Gas furnaces - Most common throughout the lower mainland, come in conventional (mid efficiency) and high efficiency styles. Life expectancy is typically 15 - 25 years for conventional and 15 - 20 years for high efficiency.
Electric Furnaces - Common in areas without natural gas service, low upfront cost but higher operational cost with lower heat output. Life expectancy is longer due to having less moving parts, 20 - 30 years.
Oil Furnaces - Widely replaced due to fuel cost and environmental concerns in storage tanks, still around in older homes or rural areas. Typical lifespan around 15 - 20 years.
Wood Furnaces - Not very common outside rural/off the grid properties. Life expectancy of 15 - 25 years.
Heat Pumps - Have becoming extremely popular due to the associated rebates and ability to cool. Can be added to existing system. (This will be a separate discussion). Life expectancy can range depending on whether the unit is indoor or outdoor, 15 - 20 years for indoor air handlers while outdoor may be a bit shorter.
What kind of problems may arise?
Efficiency issues can occur for a number of reasons including mechanical failure or a lack of maintenance to the burners. The biggest concern here is the inherit cost on the home owner to pay for inefficient heating and the eventual cost to repair or replace. Lack of efficiency means the furnace works harder than it needs to. That additional strain over a long period of time does not help with the longevity of mechanical components or the furnace as a whole.
Mechanical issues refers to the failure or ineffective function of different furnace components. Unfortunately…. These things just happen sometimes and present in all sorts of ways. Louder than normal noises during operation, erratic operation or short cycling, blower/motor failure… The list goes on. If you notice anything odd about your furnace operation or ability to heat, it’s important to hire a professional to assess before any further damage occurs.
Installation Issues are just unfortunate and are only going to be apparent after the fact. Furnace sizing may be incorrect for the size of the home, duct sizing may be incorrect for the size of furnace, air supply to support combustion could be insufficient, thermostat location can affect proper heat distribution. These issues in particular are usually avoidable. As mentioned earlier, it’s always recommended to hire a licensed professional to conduct any upgrades, replacements, repairs or maintenance on your furnace.
Safety Issues are our biggest concern. Carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion or venting issues is the primary concern from any furnace requiring combustion to produce heat.
It’s not necessarily the home owners job to diagnose specific issues or know how to fix them. But there are things that can be done to help prevent some of the issues discussed above.
What can you do to maintain your furnace?
One of the biggest things any home owner can do is REPLACE THE FILTER! Doing so once every 3 - 6 months (this time frame is assuming your furnace is being used everyday throughout that time) can help with furnace efficiency and overall longevity of your furnace and its components. A dirty filter creates more resistance for the motor, which means it has to work harder. Additionally, there is more chance or air particulates being circulated through the house.
Annual Servicing is also highly recommended. A large majority of people likely don’t receive annual servicing for their furnace. For what reason? I’m not sure. A lack of servicing can eventually lead to every issue that was discussed earlier. The price of hiring a licensed professional to service your furnace system will always be less than the cost of repairing or replacing. While it may sting initially, it will be worth it in the long run.
Duct Cleaning is helpful to ensure air quality stays consistent. Buildup of dust can affect some people’s breathing and create general discomfort. Although it’s technically not a “furnace” maintenance item, it is directly related to its function.
Check In on your heating system. You don’t have to be a professional or even educated on your furnace to notice differences. If you hear a sound that seems different, notice rust developing, or feel like heating just isn’t meeting your desired comfort levels. Contact a licensed HVAC professional to evaluate the condition of your furnace.
There is a lot you could learn about furnaces but only so much the typical home owner can absorb.
If there is one thing we hope readers take away from this it’s that maintenance is key! A furnace that is taken care of regularly has a much better chance at exceeding its life expectancy.
It may seem like a tedious cost to replace filters or hire HVAC specialists to service but those cost will always be less than the cost to repair or replace that same furnace.
We hope that you found some of this information helpful and as always if any questions arise about the content above or beyond, please reach out using the information below.