Upgrade your furnace before it fails; that goes without saying. Nobody wants to be stuck in a freezing house because an aging, outmoded unit couldn’t make it through another winter. But what if your heating system is still in operating condition at the moment, and you see no clear signs that it’s on the brink of a breakdown?
Service Life vs. Economic Life
While a furnace may be within its expected service life of 15 to 20 years and still starting up every season, it may have already exceeded the period of time where it’s financially feasible to continue using it. That time span is known as the unit’s economic life expectancy. Keeping a working furnace on the job past that point is usually a money-losing strategy.
The Upgrade Tipping Point
Gas-fired furnaces often outlive efficiency standards, meaning what seemed efficient when they were manufactured no longer keeps up with modern standards. As energy standards rise and heating technology advances, old units remain stuck in the low efficiency and performance norms of the past. You’re paying ever-increasing utility bills when you could reduce those operating costs by opting to upgrade your furnace to a more efficient unit with superior heating performance.
In addition, when existing furnace components fail from wear and tear, repair may be questionable from a cost-effectiveness standpoint. Such a furnace may still be within its service life span. However, it has exceeded its economic life.
Safety Matters
Because a gas-fired furnace produces an open flame and dangerous combustion by-products, you want the best engineered system in optimum working condition. This may not accurately describe the 1990s furnace you’re currently nursing along. A heat exchanger that cracks from years of expansion and contraction stresses could allow dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) gas to infiltrate the home. Older furnaces with open combustion are also more susceptible to hazardous backdrafting and other air quality issues compared to new models with sealed combustion that inducts outdoor air.
For a professional opinion on the right time to upgrade your furnace, the experts at Paitson Bros. Heating and Air Conditioning are here for you. We’ve been advising Wabash Valley homeowners since 1922.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Terre Haute, Indiana about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about upgrading your furnace and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Filipe-Frazao/Shutterstock”
Jeff Paitson is a third generation business owner who continues to run the business with the same values that have been passed down from previous generations since 1922.
Jeff’s belief is that the business belongs to Jesus Christ; therefore 10 percent of the company’s profits go toward the Maryland Community Church.
Jeff is a Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce member and in his spare time, he enjoys 
Ethan Rayburn is a lifelong resident of Terre Haute and a 2005 graduate of Purdue University.
An Eagle Scout, Ethan spent four years as a non-profit executive with the Boy Scouts of America before joining Paitson Bros. as a comfort advisor and later General Manager. In that role, Ethan has brought a renewed enthusiasm for customer care, integrity, value, and service to Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning.
Ethan enjoys singing and was a member of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. He also enjoys playing and coaching soccer, spending time with his family and two young boys, and volunteering his time and resources with his church, Terre Haute First Baptist Church, which he has attended from a very young age.
Paitson Bros
1 (812) 232-2347
Serving the Wabash Valley, IN Area Since 1922