Should You Start Saving For A New Furnace?
Posted on: 9 July 2015
As your furnace ages, it will start having more and more issues. Before you get to a point where it simply won't heat your home anymore, you may want to seriously consider replacing it. By saving up the money ahead of time, you can lay your old furnace to rest at the appropriate time, and ensure you have the money to purchase the new furnace you actually want without breaking your budget.
What Condition Is Your Current Furnace In?
The first step in determining whether saving for your next furnace replacement is wise is the condition of your current unit. If you have been doing your regular maintenance every year, you should have a good idea of how your furnace is doing based on the HVAC technician's report. There are plenty of online calculators that help you determine what the difference in energy cost will be between your current heater and the one you are planning to buy. Talk things over with your HVAC tech to determine how much you will likely spend on repairs over the next few years if you decide to keep the current unit.
Of course, if you haven't kept up on the maintenance, now might be a good time to start. Fixing problems before they become serious can save you quite a bit of dough, and while the technician is working on the unit, they can give you an idea of the overall health of the unit, as well as a timeframe for replacement.
Are You Planning Any Major Changes To Your Home?
There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration when planning a renovation or expansion, and if your HVAC system isn't on the list, it should be. Your furnace can only handle so much square footage, and a big addition can easily push your system over the limit, which can keep it from heating properly and will cause it to fail prematurely. Somewhere on the furnace itself, there should be information concerning the size of the unit, including how powerful the furnace is-- usually listed in BTUs, or British Thermal Units. From there, you can use an online guide to work out whether your furnace can cover the additional area.
Newer zone-based systems also require that much of the ductwork in your home is replaced. What better time to take care of this chore than when you are already remodeling? In addition, you may be able to include the new unit into your remodeling budget, which can give you some additional wiggle room to purchase the unit you want instead of just what you can afford when the old one fails.
Would You Like to Upgrade Your HVAC System Efficiency?
A new HVAC system will likely be far more efficient than your old one. However, in order to maximize the efficiency of the new unit you may have to pay quite a bit extra up front. While you will recoup the expense the cost in savings later, putting that extra cost on a credit card can quickly eat through those savings in the form of interest. Instead, start saving and researching early. That way when it does come time to do the upgrade, you are well prepared financially.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to start saving for the new furnace you've always wanted, or at least the one that will make the best fit for your home and budget. As soon as you start having issues with your current furnace, start putting a little money away so that when the time comes, the replacement won't come as such a shock to your wallet.
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