As we start to enter the winter months, having a reliable furnace is as important as ever. Before the weather gets worse, make sure your furnace is good to go and doesn’t need a replacement. The only question is: how do you know you need a furnace replacement?

To find out more, we’ve put together a list of signs to let you know it’s time to replace your furnace.

1. Age

The first sign is likely one you’ve already thought about. With most things, the older the subject or object the less efficient it’s going to be. This is the same for furnaces as well.

New furnaces work better and more efficiently than older furnaces so if you’ve had yours for ages, you might need to replace it. Now the question is at what age should you replace your furnace? Generally speaking, a furnace 15 years or older should be replaced.

2. High Energy Bill

The next place to look to see if you need to replace your furnace is your electric bill. Why you may ask? Well, heating and cooling are what consumes the majority of your energy bill.

Since newer furnaces are more efficient, the newer the furnace, the lower the electric bill. If you’re starting to see a rise in costs on your bill, but you haven’t been doing anything different around the house in terms of consuming electricity, then it’s very likely that your furnace is just on the fritz and needs to be replaced.

3. Dust Galore

While the furnace’s main job is to heat your house, a furnace also helps keep dust in control. Your furnace has a filter that catches the dust, keeping it from being blown about your house.

When these filters become backed up, it can prevent your furnace from “breathing”. The longer it stays like this, the more unnecessary strain is put on your unit.

For the most part, this is just general upkeep, but should you neglect to change the filters routinely, your furnace’s life span can be cut short.

4. Something’s Not Right

This sign is a bit more difficult to see for one reason and one reason only: no one actually goes near their furnace.

Go ahead and stand next to your furnace for a few minutes. Once it’s started, any abnormal noises should be a telltale sign it needs replacing. You also want to take note of the smell.

If this is your first time booting up for the season, a must-like smell isn’t out of the ordinary. If it’s been a few days and it still smells like that, that is out of the ordinary. At that point, you want to contact a furnace repair service.

Furnace Replacement Doesn’t Have to Be a Surprise

More often than not, people’s furnaces break down on them and the breakage seems out of the blue. Keeping note of these signs will help you keep track of your furnace’s health and be prepared to take on this year’s winter.

We offer a great number of services and 24/7 emergency service. If you need a furnace replacement or just want to schedule an appointment to get it checked out just in case, go ahead and fill out this form. If you want to learn more about heating and air conditioning, check out the rest of our HomeSense blog.