How do you know when your furnace is on its last leg, and when it still has some fight left in it? There are a few ways to tell when it’s the right time, one of those being the 50% rule. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth fixing your furnace or not, you came to the right place.
When your Tampa furnace is broken and you call a technician in, you don’t know what the bill is going to be. The repairs could be minor, or it could be four figures worth of fixes. Here’s how you figure out what works best for your budget and your home when you get hit with that kind of estimate.
The Basics of the 50% Rule
The 50% rule dictates that when your furnace repairs are at or more than 50% of the cost of a brand new furnace, it’s better to just replace the furnace instead. There are a few reasons for this:
- It’s Less Efficient: Your furnace loses efficiency as time goes on, no matter what. If you have a furnace that’s ten years old or older, it just isn’t as efficient as it once was. Even if you’ve maintained it well, that decline still happens.
- It Costs More to Run: When your furnace loses efficiency, it takes longer to go through each heating cycle. Think about the fact that every second you run your heater, it’s using energy, so longer cycles quickly add up over time and increase your bills.
- It’s Not the Last Repair Request: This repair isn’t going to be the last one. Next time around, what if you get hit with another huge bill and repair request? Think about all the repairs you’ve made up to this point and the total cost—you’ll basically be paying for a new furnace anyway.
Now’s Your Time to Change to a New Heater
Gas furnaces have their appeal, but so do more energy-efficient heat pumps. Now could be a great time to make the switch if your furnace is truly past the point that it’s worth it to repair. Or you could consider ductless mini splits that help you zone your heating a bit better as well. If there was ever a time to make a radical change to how you heat your home, this is the perfect opportunity.
What if the Repair is Only 40% of a New Furnace?
It’s not a hard-and-fast rule that it has to be 50% of the cost of a new furnace, but at that point, you’re in the territory where it doesn’t make sense to repair an old, dying furnace. If the repair estimate is around 40% of the price of a new furnace, that could still be enough to justify replacing it or moving to another heater type.
Replace or Repair, It’s Up to You
Depending on the repair cost, you may choose to stick with your furnace for one more year, or you may opt to replace it. Whatever you choose, we can help you out. Contact us today and we’ll schedule a repair appointment or talk to you about your replacement.
Contact us today to schedule your furnace repair as soon as possible.