Is It Time to Upgrade to a High-Efficiency System?
We get asked this a lot in Newmarket, usually right after a repair quote. There’s no single answer, but there are a few honest ways to decide if replacing your furnace or AC makes more sense than fixing it again.
Signs an upgrade is worth considering
- Age: most furnaces last 15 to 20 years and central ACs 12 to 15. Past that, parts get harder to find and efficiency is well behind current models.
- Repair history: one repair isn’t a reason to replace. Two or three in a couple of seasons usually is.
- Comfort: hot and cold rooms, dry air, or a system that runs constantly on the coldest days.
- Old mid-efficiency furnace: an 80% furnace sends a fifth of its heat up the chimney. A 96% unit keeps most of it in the house.
What the efficiency numbers mean
AFUE is for furnaces: the percentage of fuel that ends up as heat in your home. SEER2 is the cooling efficiency rating for ACs and heat pumps under the newer test standard. A higher number means lower running cost, but the jump from minimum to mid-range usually pays back faster than going from mid-range to top of the line.
Features matter as much as the rating. A two-stage or modulating furnace with a variable-speed blower runs longer at low output, which is quieter and evens out temperatures between floors.
Sizing is where most installs go wrong
Replacing a 100,000 BTU furnace with another 100,000 BTU furnace is common and often wrong. Homes get new windows and insulation over the years. We do a heat-loss calculation before quoting, so the new system isn’t oversized and short-cycling.
Cost and financing
Estimates for new installations are free, and we offer financing options so the upgrade doesn’t have to come out of savings all at once. Also check Natural Resources Canada and your gas utility for any rebate programs running at the time you buy, since they change often.
Want a straight answer on repair versus replace? Contact us or call 647-657-2977 and we’ll come take a look. More on our furnace and air conditioning work.
