This column was not written to tell you when to replace your furnace and air conditioner, but rather to tell you how I decided and let you gather facts to make a decision that fits your needs. Replacing a furnace is usually done with different criteria than replacing your car. You rarely drive your car until it fails and then replace it. You generally replace it when it is still performing well or has some minor problems. People usually only replace their furnace when it fails. A furnace should probably be different because a failure on a very cold day in winter must be repaired quickly before pipes freeze. During this time many repairmen are busy and not available. There is also little time to evaluate various equipment options to best match your needs. Selecting the best furnace for your particular needs and wants can take some time that you may not have after your furnace fails.
The average life of a furnace in Sun City is 15-18 years. Since my furnace is in that range, I had a decision to make. Here is my logic. I will probably have to buy one more furnace in my lifetime. If I buy it now, I will have 15-18 years of trouble free heating and cooling. If I continue to heat the house with my 17-year-old furnace, it could fail at any time, even on a day when the temperature drops below freezing. If the heat exchanger fails my decision is simple, I need a new furnace. If the circuit board or the blower fails, they can be replaced but they are expensive, and I need to consider if it is wise to put a lot of money into a furnace that is near the end of its life.
There are additional benefits to having a furnace with 17-year newer technology. The energy efficiency improves from 80%-90% to 96%-98%. A smart thermostat modulates the fan for more constant temperatures. The combustion side of furnacesâthe mixing of combustion air with fuel is an area where technological advances have improved energy efficiency. High-efficiency furnaces keep close control over the amount of air mixed with gas and vary the speed of the blower motor depending upon the demands of the home. âSealed combustion,â which means bringing all combustion air from outdoors and mixing it with the fuel at a controlled rate, instead of using the air from inside the house that you have already paid to heat.
Gas valves have become more sophisticated also. A two-stage gas valve warms up the furnace quickly and then drops back to a more economical flow. Many gas-fired, high-efficiency furnaces also save on the electricity required to power the blower motor. They do this by coupling a sophisticated, programmable thermostat to a variable-speed motor and run the blower for longer periods at lower speeds. This provides quieter performance and more even, comfortable heat and doesnât consume as much electricity. This is unlike your current furnace where the gas burner and the blower motor are either full on or full off. It is like driving your car with a two-position accelerator: full on or full off.
For those of you who are away for several months in the winter, a smart thermostat will send an email to your phone if the furnace should go off. It also allows you to monitor the temperature both inside and outside your house on an app on your phone. It gives you the ability to raise or lower the temperature in your house with your phone from anywhere. If you are on your way home from a long weekend, and you have lowered the temperature in the house, you can raise the temperature with your phone app, so the house will be warm when you get there.
Since my air conditioner is also 17 years old, it would be foolish not to replace both at the same time. They both have the same expected life and since the air conditioner evaporator is mounted inside the furnace air duct there is a labor savings by installing them both together.
Another advantage of replacing the air conditioner is that the refrigerant, Freon R22, is being outlawed in 2020 because of its impact on the atmosphere and global warming. It will no longer be available if repairs are needed.
I hope this article starts you planning what you would do if your furnace and/or air conditioner should fail, or if you want to replace them while they still have a year or two of life left.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
