Temperatures have been wacky this year in the Big Apple. All of the boroughs of New York have seen such radical shifts in temperature, from a lukewarm Christmas Day to a freezing cold New Years’ Eve. While our team can’t change the weather, we can provide comprehensive heating care to homeowners who are struggling to deal with the wild shifts in temperature. This includes helping them decide whether they should replace or repair their heating system.
No need to just take our word for it! Homeowners can follow along with our point system so that they can better understand this decision. Some factors are more important when determining whether repairs or replacement services are needed. We promise that by the end of this blog post, it’ll be clear for all the homeowners out there if they need heater replacement in the Bronx, NY.
The Status of a Heater
We’re not here to point fingers or make anyone feel guilty about declining replacement services if their heater works just fine. We just want homeowners to be aware of what we look at when we’re deciding the most cost-effective way of going forward. Heaters that age, or start showing signs of frequent problems, usually can only be comprehensively fixed through replacement.
- Age (3 Points). Heating systems like furnaces and heat pumps are only supposed to last between 10–15 years. After that, all bets are off and a system could start breaking down or showing signs of excessive wear and tear. Not to mention warranties will be gone and repairs will start becoming more expensive. This is a great reason to start considering a replacement, even if the heating system still “technically works.”
- Frequent or Expensive Repairs (2 Points). If a heating system constantly requires help, or requires constant expensive help, then it could be more affordable to cut losses and invest in a replacement. New models will have higher efficiency ratings, newer parts made out of sturdier materials, and will come with warranties as well.
- Uncomfortable Temperatures (1 Point). How is a heater supposed to keep a family happy if it’s not providing heat? Heaters that aren’t up to snuff should be repaired at the bare minimum. If this is in conjunction with other problems, it might be time to consider a replacement.
- Low Efficiency (1 Point). A heater should be able to heat a home at a reasonable cost each month. The more fuel or energy it has to consume to create enough heat, the less efficient it is. Many times this can be fixed with a repair. However, over time, a heater can lose efficiency and just be outmatched by other, newer models on the market.
Add the Points Up…
Homeowners should now tally up their points.
1–2 Points: Schedule Repairs
If the system only got these few points, then, as long as it still works fine, it probably only needs repairs to be scheduled. Think about signing up for routine maintenance as well.
3–5 Points: Consider Getting a Replacement
A heater that’s struggling with this many things should definitely be considered for a replacement. Targeted repairs might not deal with everything that’s going wrong, especially age.
6–7 Points: Replacement Is Needed
Needless to say, a heater that’s struggling this much should absolutely be repaired.
Contact the team at Yost & Campbell Heating, Cooling & Generators to schedule heater replacement services.