Do I need to consider purchasing a new furnace.?

To make your decision, you need to weigh three factors: your furnace efficiency, the cost of fuel, and the “heating load” of your house—that’s the amount of energy required to maintain a steady 65-degree temperature indoors.

Fuel costs can vary, though, gas is competitively priced. Also, your furnace is already pretty efficient, though not as good as the best condensing-type gas furnaces, which capture up to 97 percent of the fuel’s energy. If your furnace were old and worn out, your decision would be easy—buy a more efficient model—but the average life of a well-maintained furnace is 25 years.

If you did replace your furnace with a 97 percent efficient system, you’d cut your heating bills around 20 percent. To see if it’s worth spending the money, add up the fuel bills for last winter—your gas utility will have records—then multiply that sum by 20 percent. Divide that figure into the cost of buying and installing the new system, and you’ll see how many years it will take to recoup your investment.

If it were my house, I’d first look for ways to reduce the heating load. Ask your utility company to perform an energy audit. That will probably uncover some relatively inexpensive upgrades, such as new weatherstripping or added insulation. Also, ask the company that maintains your furnace about ways to improve its performance. For instance, you might be able to replace a standard pilot light with electronic ignition or seal the joints in your ductwork. These minor improvements will help reduce heating costs and make you more comfortable without draining your bank account.

To summarize, you should consider buying a new furnace to save money, improve your quality of life, help the environment, improve the value of your home and sleep better at night knowing you are unlikely to have to deal with expensive emergency repairs.

To get the best combination of prices and services, see the professionals at J.O.B. Heating & Air Conditioning in Saskatoon.

You can call us anytime at 306.683.4328 or email us at info@jobheating.com. Your comfort is our business!