3 Signs It's Time to Upgrade Your Home's Heating System

Even the best heating systems are going to eventually start losing their effectiveness, and with the winter season finally coming to a close, and your heating system set for a long summer rest, now is the time to take stock of its condition, and determine whether or not it might be in your best interest to have your older system replaced before the onset of next winter. This time of year is the perfect opportunity to reflect on how your system performed over the winter, and make the determination as to whether simple repairs will be sufficient to get it through another year, or if it has just reached the point where it has become woefully outdated, or has just suffered too much damage. There are a number of fairly obvious signs that indicate whether or not your system is past its prime, and you might just be better off investing in an upgrade. To help you recognize when the time is right to upgrade your home's heating system, we have put together this short list highlighting some of the tell-tale signs.

System Age

Heating systems generally have a fairly standard lifespan, which can give you a great indication as to when is the proper time to invest in a new one. Unfortunately, many homeowners either don't have a way to keep track of this, or just don't remember. If you are like a number of homeowners, your home might have come with a heating system, and you might have no way of knowing how old that particular system is. However, a professional technician can help you make an accurate determination. Using a system that is past its prime can have a number of drawbacks on your home, so if your system is over 15 years old, it might be time you started looking at upgrading.

High Energy Bills

People tend to spend a bit more on their energy costs during the summer and winter, mostly because of the need to continuously run their heating or cooling system, and the more intense weather tends to keep more people inside on a daily basis. That being said, however, most homeowners will have a general idea of how much on average their monthly energy costs should be. This is a good thing to keep track of as well, because keeping track of your energy bills on a yearly basis is a great way to keep track of the whole picture. When you compare the total yearly energy costs from this most recent winter to a winter several years ago, you should be able to get a general idea of how well your heating system is performing. If you have noticed that your energy bills have spiked in recent years or months, it might be time to consider investing in a heating system upgrade. A new system will run much more efficiently, saving you a great deal of money, and even paying for itself eventually.

Your System Is Underperforming

As your home's heating system gets older, it is going to have a harder and harder time keeping your home at the comfort level you would like. The temperatures in your home might fluctuate fairly wildly for what seems like no reason sometimes, which is highly typical of a system that is unable to operate at peak efficiency. This poor performance could be the result of a number of things, including leaks in your ductwork or blockages, or a number of other things. You could also find that the air quality inside your home has gotten worse over the previous months. This is a sure sign of a system that isn't filtering properly. If it seems like you are investing in new repairs for your heating system every couple of months, or even weeks, it is probably time to start considering an upgrade, as it could actually wind up paying for itself over time with the savings you will get from the less frequent need of repairs.