When Is It Time to Replace Your Heater?

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Heating systems do have expiration dates, contrary to what many people think. We’ve all got that family member or neighbor who still runs that old 20 or 30-year-old heating system that technically still works, but looks like it’s about to fall apart at any minute. While that might sound cool to extend the lifespan of your technology as much as possible, sometimes it can actually lead to problems for you and your home.

Heating systems are not muscle cars. They’re not intended to work for decades beyond when they were originally designed.

You can keep tuning them up and getting them fixed, but it’s going to cost a lot of money for very few results. And unlike muscle cars, you can’t show them off to your friends and neighborhood. Heaters sit in the basement out of sight. But you can always depend on us for your next heating replacement in Greenfield, IN!

Signs That You Need to Replace Your Heating System

In order to understand why heating systems have an expiration date, we need to talk about what can go wrong when the system has reached its age limit. If you’re encountering the following problems, be sure to call our team for support.

• Frequent repair needs. An old heating system is going to have constant problems because the components are all worn down. They might break together or one at a time, but either way, you’re going to be responsible for calling a professional to have it fixed every time this happens. This can be a huge burden on a budget and also a series of stressful situations.
• Poor efficiency. Newer heating systems have extremely high energy efficiency ratings. As time has gone on, manufacturers have gotten better at making heating systems that rely less on heavy energy consumption to keep a home warm. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking of spending a good chunk of money on your old heater.
• Uncomfortable temperatures. Do you have cold spots in your house? Or perhaps you’ve got entire rooms that just don’t feel warm no matter what temperature the thermostat is set to? That’s just not acceptable, especially when there are better heating systems out there that can do the job.
• It’s dirty and dusty. A forced-air heating system has an air filter that’s designed to keep contaminants out of the system, but that component won’t protect it for decades. If your heating system has been running for that long, it could be incredibly dirty or dusty, leading to poor air quality and bad efficiency levels.

How Long Can My Heater Realistically Last?

This is a good question. Forced-air heating systems like furnaces and heat pumps last 10–15 years before they start running into the problems above. Boilers and radiant heaters can last 15–20 due to fewer moving parts, but they still have an end point.

Keep in mind, there’s no award for the homeowner with the oldest heater. You might not even get bragging rights. There are no good benefits to keeping your old heating system in your house, and over time it might even get unsafe.

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