Every fall, New Jersey residents are delighted by the colors of the changing leaves and the end of the sweltering summer temperatures. However, winter is right around the corner. To make sure that homeowners are prepared for the plummeting temperatures, here are three signs that it’s time to have a new heater installed.
Has the comfort level changed?
Your home’s furnace should be able to heat your home the same year after year. Just like a car, a heater is a machine that will continue to work the same until there is a problem. If you’ve noticed any changes in how your home heats, any new hot/cold spots throughout the home, the amount of time it takes to heat your home, or how long your heater runs, this can all be a predictor of future issues. A service appointment may be able to clean your heater and fix any issues, but you may want to start considering replacing your heater before it breaks and “leaves you out in the cold.”
Does your heater have a metal chimney?
All heaters that use natural gas, propane, or oil have one thing in common—they must vent the exhaust gas. If your heater is using a metal chimney to exhaust the gas, then you may want to consider upgrading your heater. The reason why your chimney is made of metal is because the temperature of the gases can be over 500Fo. For a device whose only job is to efficiently make heat, wasting 500Fo is . . . wasteful. This excessive waste is why these furnaces are, at best, 80% efficient – out of every dollar spent, $.80 cents goes to your home and $.20 cents goes up the chimney. Modern heaters are up to 97-98% efficient, and this upgrade can lower your yearly utility bills by up to 8.5%, or more!
Does your heater still have a pilot light?
Heaters with pilot lights fail on two fronts. Not only do they have a metal chimney (as mentioned above), but keeping the pilot light lit actually lowers the efficiency further. Heaters with pilot lights are typically around 70% efficient (only $.70 of every dollar spent ends up heating the home).
Beyond the extreme inefficiency, pilot lights have not been used in most new heaters since the mid-1980’s. This means that if your heater still has a pilot light it’s likely 30 years old – even the most optimistic estimates predict the expected lifespan of a heater at 25 years. Given your heater’s age, there is a greater likelihood that it will experience issues in the near future. Before you are left without heat this winter, consider upgrading your existing furnace.
Since 1948, Hutchinson Plumbing Heating Cooling has been a go-to water heater repair company in Gloucester County, NJ, and their skilled technicians have also performed a countless number of heating installations for many Camden County, NJ residents. To help New Jersey homeowners learn more about their home’s heating system, Hutchinson is offering free Home Energy Audits until October 31, 2016. Fill out a contact form on their website, https://www.hutchbiz.com/, or dial 866-953-9728 to schedule your free home energy audit today.