It’s getting chilly out there! How’s your heat? Keeping your whole home at an even, toasty temperature? Running quietly and efficiently? If not, don’t delay. Get HVAC repair before the problem gets any worse. What if that repair would be expensive, and your heating system is getting old? Should you consider a new HVAC installation instead? Let’s weigh your options.
How Old Is Your Heating System?
The length of time you can expect a heating system to last is pretty varied. Is it a gas furnace? You’ll be lucky to get any more than fifteen years out of it. An electric furnace? That might last more like twenty. Do you have a boiler? Lucky you! Those aren’t really getting old until they’re approaching the age of thirty. The older the system is, the less worthwhile an expensive repair is, because you simply won’t get many more years of heat from it no matter what you do.
Is It Well-Maintained?
Life expectancies like the ones listed above might seem pretty good. But those estimates are not based on dirty and neglected systems. No, you’ll only get so many years from your heating system if you have routine maintenance done regularly, keeping everything clean and well-lubricated, cutting down on system strain, and catching tiny problems before they worsen.
How Expensive Is the Repair?
When you have your heating system looked at by a professional, they should be able to estimate a cost for repairing it. Some people recommend only choosing repair if it would be less than half the cost of a new system. If fixing the old one would be more than half the pricetag of a brand-new one, you should lean toward a new HVAC installation in Hibbing, MN.
How Frequently Are Repairs Required?
As a heating system deteriorates with age and wear and tear, more and more of the components will end up worn out, slipping out of position, or causing some sort of problem. Once you start to have annual (or more-frequent) repairs, no one fix is going to stop that progression. You’ll continue to have repair needs more often, not less often, as the system keeps getting older.
Is Your System Efficient and Effective?
Other than this current repair need, are you generally satisfied with the performance of your heating system? And as long as you do get annual maintenance, does the system stay about as efficient as it ever was? Then it’s more likely to be worth repairing. Eventually, no amount of maintenance will keep your system efficient and effective, and at that point, repairs are a waste of money.
The 5000 Rule
Rather than the simple half-the-cost calculation mentioned above, we’ve got a somewhat more precise method of determining whether you should repair your old heating system or get a new one. Take the age of your heater and multiply it by the repair cost estimate, and determine whether that is more or less than 5000.
Say it’s a ten-year-old heater in need of a three-hundred-dollar repair. That comes out to 3000, and is worth repairing. If the heater is the same age but needs an eight-hundred-dollar repair, your answer is 8000, and it’s time for a new heater. What if your answer is just about 5000? If it’s a well-maintained system that rarely breaks down, repair it. If it’s poorly maintained and constantly needs to be fixed, replace it.
Reach out to Mesaba Heating & Air Conditioning today. Service to you is success to us!