Getting a heating replacement in Panama City, FL probably isn’t something you often have on your mind. You live in a place with the type of winter weather that draws snowbirds from the far north. But it’s easy to get complacent and allow a failing heater to slowly fall apart while you’re not paying attention. Then suddenly, on one of those rainy storm days when you need your heater to run, it won’t—and the old system is simply too expensive to repair.
Rather than get trapped having to replace a heating system as an emergency measure, you can head off the problem with some diligence and a few facts about when a heater needs to be replaced. We’ll guide you through how you can best tell when you need to schedule a heating system replacement with our pros.
The Heater’s Age
Make sure you know the service life expectancy of your heating system. This varies by heater type and the energy source it uses. Many people in the area use heat pumps for year-round heating, and these systems will last for around 10–15 years, the same as air conditioners.
Gas furnaces have a service life expectancy of 15 years, while electric furnaces can sometimes get to 25 years. When your heater is near or above its expected lifespan, you need to start thinking about a replacement.
Irregular Maintenance
How often have you had your heating system maintained? Please be honest! If you’ve diligently scheduled annual professional maintenance, then the system will probably reach the higher end of its life expectancy. If you’ve missed maintenance now and then, take a few years off that expectancy. If you’ve never had it maintained, then cut the expectancy in half. This is one of the reasons we stress maintenance—it can save you tons by avoiding an early heater replacement.
Too Many Repairs
A heating system with regular maintenance will rarely need repairs until the end of its service life. (Maintenance will help prevent more than 50% of repairs.) When repairs start to become an annual chore—or they happen more frequently—then you’re looking at a dying system. Rather than continuing to sink money into fixing an aging heater, use that money to invest in a fresh unit.
Price of Repairs
You can also use the estimated cost of repairs to tell you when it’s better to replace your heater. In general, don’t pay for a repair that’s greater than half the cost of getting a new heating system. Another way to tell if a repair isn’t worth it is to multiply the repair cost by the age of the unit in years. If the result is more than 5,000, that’s too much.
Rising Operating Costs
When a heating system is in the last 1–2 years of its lifespan, the wear and tear on it will force it to work harder and drain greater amounts of power. If you’ve seen a steady rise in your utility bills that you don’t understand, it might be your older heater sending out a warning sign it needs to retire.
Rely on Parker Services, Inc to help you find the best new heating system for your home in Panama City. Comfort’s just a call away!