Is Your Old Furnace Costing You Money?

January 18, 2024

During the winter months, your furnace is working all the time to keep your home or business warm. An older, less energy efficient furnace may be wasting energy, and costing you more money than it should to run.

We have worked with all kinds of furnaces and heating systems in South Jersey, and have seen some situations where the homeowner thinks they are saving money by dealing the replacement of an old furnace. The truth is they were delaying the inevitable, and spending too much money on energy bills in the meantime.

In this article, we’ll go over what causes an older furnace to waste money, and how you can prevent this from happening to you!

Has Your Furnace Lost Efficiency?

How Can You Tell If Your Furnace Is Losing Efficiency?

The key reason your older furnace is costing you money is through lost energy efficiency. When your system is brand new, it’s running VERY efficiently, and you are most likely spending the least amount of money on your heating bills. But, after some years and a bit of wear and tear, the efficiency of your heating system tends to diminish.

Signs of Diminished Efficiency

When an older system starts to lose efficiency, it’s going to consume more energy than necessary, and drive up your energy bills. Telltale signs include uneven heating, frequent repairs, longer heating times, and an increase in energy bills despite normal usage.

The reason your system is losing efficiency as it ages is usually some combination of worn-out components, leaking ductwork, or the accumulation of dirt and debris in your furnace. There is also the case of the system simply being older, and the technology is not as advanced as the heating systems that are made today.

Impact on Costs and Comfort

The inefficiency of an older furnace not only hits your wallet but also affects the comfort of your home or business. It may struggle to maintain a consistent temperature, leading to cold spots in your home.

Another drawback of an inefficient furnace is that it can lead to poor air quality. Some older furnace models are less effective at filtering out dust and allergens.

How Old Is Your Furnace?

The age of your furnace is usually a good indicator of “repair or replace” when it comes to a furnace. Just like an old car that breaks down, you don’t want to sink money into a failing heating system.

Knowing When to Replace

The age of your furnace is important, as newer models tend to be more energy efficient than older models. Most furnaces have a lifespan of 15-20 years. If your furnace is nearing or has surpassed this age range, chances are it’s not operating at optimal efficiency. Newer models are designed with advanced technology that accounts for energy consumption, and makes sure that it uses the minimal amount of energy to get the job done!

The Cost-Benefit Analysis

When considering the replacement of an old furnace, it’s important to conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Of course, the upfront cost of a new furnace might seem daunting, but the long-term savings on energy bills and repair costs can be substantial. The truth is, you are likely in need of a replacement furnace anyway, and delaying the upgrading is just putting off the larger cost, while still running up unnecessary energy costs.

In lots of cases, once an older system breaks down, instead of repairing it, people will replace it. If your heating system is not working well, and it’s running up your energy bills, it may be a better idea to be proactive in replacing the system, rather than waiting it out. It could improve the comfort of your home, and your energy bills right away.

Ways To Save Money Running Your Furnace

Regular Service

Routine Yearly Service

Making sure you schedule routine furnace service is the best way to make sure your system is efficient, and to lengthen the lifespan of your system. As we mentioned before, a heating system should last 15-20 years, but without regular service, you can shorten that lifespan by a few.

Annual inspections and maintenance by a professional can help identify and fix minor issues before they turn into bigger problems that are going to cost a lot of money. This includes cleaning or replacing air filters, inspecting the thermostat, and ensuring all components are in good working order. Routine maintenance will make sure there is no buildup of dirt and soot, keeping the components clean and working smoothly.

Schedule Heating Service

DIY Maintenance Tips

Homeowners can also undertake simple maintenance tasks, such as regularly changing air filters, ensuring vents are unobstructed, and checking the thermostat settings. These are some easy steps that you can take to maintain your furnace. You should change your air filter every few months. We recommend purchasing a few, and storing them for when you are ready to swap them out.

Zoning Your Heating

What Is Zoning?

Zoning means dividing your home into different areas or ‘zones’, each with its own temperature control. This means you can heat the areas of your home that are in use, rather than heating the entire house. This zoning allows you to customize your comfort, while also using less energy in rooms that you don’t need heated.

Implementing Zoning

Installing a zoned heating system can be done by a professional and is compatible with most modern heating systems. What we do is install additional thermostats, dampers, and maybe adjust some of the ductwork. For the upfront cost associated with it, we generally see that homeowners not only love the energy savings, but the customized comfort is amazing.

You can also install ductless heating and cooling systems. These work independently of each other, and naturally allow you to zone the comfort in your home.

Installing An Energy Efficient Furnace

Benefits of Modern Furnaces

Modern energy-efficient furnaces are designed to use less energy while providing better heating. They come equipped with features like variable-speed blowers, modulating gas valves, and better heat exchangers, which contribute to their high efficiency.

Older furnaces would turn off and on, leading to swings in the temperature, as well as inefficient use of energy. With a variable speed system, it adjusts the rate at which the system is working, so that it maintains your temperature consistently. This saves money and improves the comfort of your home.

Understanding Efficiency Ratings

When choosing a new furnace, you are going to see some numbers and ratings associated with it. These are efficiency ratings, and they help you understand how energy efficient your new heating system is going to be. The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating indicates how efficiently a furnace converts gas into heating energy. The higher the rating, the more efficient the furnace. This is going to lead to a higher upfront cost, but lower energy bills as you choose more efficient models.

In the end, the key thing to remember is that if your furnace is old and inefficient, it could be costing you more money than it should. Upgrading to a newer furnace can lead to increased energy efficiency, better comfort, and lower energy bills.