How Efficient Is Your 15-Year-Old Furnace?

The average life expectancy of a furnace or any other HVAC system is around 15 years. After that, HVAC systems start to perform poorly and consume more electricity. According to the US Department of Energy, a 20-year-old furnace wastes about 22% of the energy. 

HVAC technologies have improved a lot in the last few decades. Today’s HVAC systems are more efficient than ever. For example, most of the modern furnace systems have AFUE 95% rating, which is highly efficient. 

In this article, I’ll talk briefly about whether a 15-year-old furnace efficient or not. But first, you need to know about the signs of an inefficient furnace system.

 

3 Signs Your Furnace is Inefficient

1.      Frequent Furnace Repair

Frequent furnace repair is the first sign that your furnace is inefficient. If you’re calling your nearby HVAC repair professional frequently for furnace repair then your furnace components are working hard to produce your desired heating. When your furnace components work hard, your furnace will have more wear and tear, and eventually, it’ll have a system breakdown.  

Again, if you find out that the components of your HVAC systems are in bad shape, you should consider replacing your furnace system. Because when you have an old furnace, it’s likely that one or two parts of your furnace system are completely or partially damaged. These parts will hinder other parts from functioning, and as a result, the furnace efficiency will be reduced.

2.      Hot and Cold Spots

If you notice hot and cold spots in different rooms of your house, it’s a sign that your furnace is in the last few days of its life and you need to replace your old furnace. However, new furnace owners also can face hot and cold spots in their home, but this is very common for households that have an old furnace system.  

3.      High Heating Bills

Finally, if you notice a spike in the heating bills, there is a huge chance that your furnace has become inefficient and it’s time to replace your old furnace system.

When your furnace gets old, components of the furnace system have to work harder to produce your desired heating. As a result, it starts to consume more electricity, that leads to higher heating bills. Again, when the components of your furnace work hard, it puts a lot of stress and strain on the HVAC system. Eventually, your furnace requires more repairs.

That’s why if you’re noticing a spike in the heating bills, you should consult with your nearby HVAC professional and replace your old furnace.

 

Efficiency of a 15-Year-Old Furnace

Technologies have improved a lot in the last few decades, so did HVAC systems and furnace systems. Now, HVAC systems and furnace systems are more efficient and consume less power. Besides, a lot of new HVAC technologies have arrived that were unimaginable decades ago. These additions make the modern HVAC systems and furnace systems highly efficient.

If you have a 15-year-old furnace then it is at the end of its lifespan. It’s likely that the components of your furnace aren’t in good condition. Besides, over the years, all the components of your furnace system have gone through a lot of wear and tear. These wear and tears play a significant role in reducing furnace efficiency.

As I mentioned earlier, when you have a 15- to 20-year-old furnace, it wastes around 18 to 22 percentage of the energy. That means if you spend 100 dollars in your furnace, 20 dollars will be wasted. On the other hand, the modern HVAC system has a 95% AFUE rating. That means if you spend 100 dollars in your furnace, only 5 dollars will be wasted.

From this comparison, you can understand the difference between a modern and old furnace. If you’re planning to save money on heating bills, you should replace your old furnace as soon as possible.

You may be thinking that investing in a new furnace system requires a lot of money. But you should consider this as an investment. New furnace system comes with technologies and new features. As new furnace systems use less electricity or gas, you’ll be benefitted financially in the long run. Besides, you’ll have more comfort compared to your old furnace system.

 

Bottom Line  

If your furnace is more than 15-years-old, you should consider replacing your old furnace because you’ll be benefitted in the long run.

 

See the summary of this article here – 3 Signs of An Inefficient Furnace [Infographic]

3 Signs of An Inefficient Furnace

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