With the winter weather starting to set in, making sure that you have a reliable home heating system is one of the most important ways to ensure that your family is happy and comfortable, no matter how cold it is outside. The problem is that you could have the most energy-efficient and high-tech home heating options available, but unless you know the warning signs of a failing HVAC system, you could be caught off-guard by a furnace that doesn’t work at all.
So, in light of that fact, here are just a few warning signs to be aware of:
- If your energy bills have significantly gone up within the past few months, that could be a sign that your HVAC system isn’t working properly or that there is a leak in one of the ducts. Of course, it’s important to remember that a higher energy bill could also be the result of not using your HVAC system for a while (due to favorable weather), and then all of a sudden having to turn it on full-blast.
- If your home seems extra stuffy, that could be a sign that your HVAC unit needs to be cleaned or repaired. Regardless of the home heating options you use, it’s common that an HVAC unit will dry out the air a little bit; an old furnace, however, will likely suck even more moisture out of the air. Although something like changing the filter in your HVAC unit can be done on your own, most HVAC repair services are more than happy to make home visits and do the cleaning for you.
- If your furnace is making weird noises — banging, popping, wheezing — pretty much anything that sounds bad is a sign that your furnace is nearing its last days. The best thing to do in this case is simply to call up a home heating repair service, and either replace certain parts or replace the entire furnace completely (even before it fully dies).
In general, the average furnace lasts about 15 to 20 years; if you realize that your furnace is nearing its 20th years (or maybe it’s even passed this year), then it’s always a good idea to have your HVAC system repaired and replaced.
Although the cost of a new HVAC system may be a bit inconvenient, taking a proactive measure and replacing the system before it dies will save you tons of stress — and it’ll ensure that you aren’t left without heat when it gets really cold outside. With such a wide variety of home heating options available today, picking out a brand-new fuel-efficient may just pay for itself sooner than you’d expect.
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