5 Signs You Need A New Furnace

12/12/2022

couple wearing their winter coats freezing in their home

No one wants to come home from a freezing day to a cold house. However, if you aren’t taking proper care of your furnace, you might face just that. Luckily, spotting the warning signs will let you know when to replace your unit before it stops working unexpectedly.

Here are a couple of signs that your furnace is failing:

The House Isn’t Warm Enough
The Unit Smells or Sounds Off
There Is Poor Air Quality
The Unit Needs Frequent Repairs
The Energy Bill Has Gone Up

Need help with your furnace? Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

515-657-6634 Request Appointment Online

1. The House Isn’t Warm Enough

Does the living room get a lot warmer than the kitchen? Do you need more time to heat the rooms? When there is a faulty furnace, the rooms don’t get heated evenly. It could be from a lack of furnace repair, a dirty air filter, or duct leaks.

If it has been a year since the last time the unit had a professional tune-up, it may not function as well as a properly maintained furnace. Dirty filters restrict or slow down the amount of warm air that reaches the rest of the rooms. The dirtier the filters, the bigger the odds for short cycling problems, which make it difficult to keep the home warm. If there are any openings or cracks in the ductwork, then you can expect the warm air to leak before it gets to the rooms.

2. It Smells or Sounds Off

Some furnace odors are harmless, but you shouldn’t ignore them. A musty furnace smell means there is moisture trapped inside the unit. If the smell doesn’t go away in a couple of days, there could be mold in the furnace.

Dust can also build up inside the components, causing a burnt dust smell. Once the furnace burns away the dust, the smell should disappear. But, if it persists for over a day, get professional furnace repair. The smell of burning oil typically indicates there is a clogged filter.

A furnace smells like dirty socks when there is bacteria buildup in the unit. It needs a thorough cleaning and an air filter replacement. If the smell lingers despite cleaning the furnace and replacing the filter, then there could be an issue with the air ducts.

Another sign you need a new furnace is hearing strange noises. Such as loud rattling, banging, popping, clicking, or humming sounds. This could be a clear indicator that the furnace doesn’t work as well as it should. These noises could mean that your furnace is almost at the end of its life.

3. There Is Poor Air Quality

The older the furnace, the more dust and dirt particles it can distribute around the home. This happens with a clogged or old filter. The air is having trouble getting through when it is supposed to, and the unit is working harder to compensate. So, it ends up pulling particles around and through the filter.

Allergens and dust particles get into the ductwork and blow out through the vents into your rooms. This is reducing the air quality in your home, which can be a serious problem for someone with allergies.

4. It Needs Frequent Repairs

If you’ve had your unit for more than 15 years, and it needs frequent furnace repair, then you can use a new one. Installing a new furnace can cost about $4,000 on average, depending on the type of unit you get. But, with a new furnace, you save on costs in the long run.

5. The Energy Bill Has Gone Up

An old furnace uses more energy and more money to heat all the rooms. When a unit is nearing its end, it doesn’t have the capacity or efficiency to provide adequate warmth like a newer furnace.

Trust the Experts at Service Legends

At Service Legends, customers get access to top-quality Central Iowa furnace repair and superior customer care. Our team can handle any type of furnace, no matter when you bought it or the type of issues you might be having.