While there is no definitive answer to the question “how long does the furnace last?” there are a few factors to consider. The lifespan of a furnace can be influenced by a number of factors. Professional installation and high-quality manufacturing from a respected brand are ideal places to start. You may help extend the life of your furnace by arranging regular maintenance and inspections by a skilled technician, as well as replacing air filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. When set up correctly, a furnace will use air and its energy source to run efficiently.
Personal comfort preferences and the local climate can also play a role; how warm or cold you keep your home, how often the system operates, and temperature extremes can affect the furnace’s life longevity.
Don’t overlook how much you use your air conditioning, as a furnace is often a crucial component of a central air conditioning or heat pump system.
Types of Furnaces
There are various types of furnaces; the majority burn natural gas or oil, while others are electric. The sort of furnace you have relies on the availability of energy sources and what is the best decision for your home and budget.
Natural Gas Furnace
The majority of furnaces in Portland utilize natural gas, which is one of the most widely used heating fuels in the United States. A new gas furnace can be up to 98 percent efficient, which means that very little fuel is wasted.
Electric Furnace
Some furnaces run on electricity, which is a possible alternative in Portland due to the availability of hydroelectricity. Instead of a combustion chamber, electric furnaces use heated coils to reheat the cold air brought into the machine.
Oil Furnace
Oil furnaces are no longer widespread in the Pacific Northwest, but they can be used to heat older homes. Unlike natural gas that is piped directly to the home, heating oil is purchased and kept in a tank on the property.
Well-maintained oil furnaces may last a long period and are commonly found in locations where natural gas is unavailable. Oil furnaces are being phased out of older homes in favor of gas furnaces, which take up less space and are more efficient.
The Average Furnace Lifespan
A well-maintained furnace can run for at least 15 to 20 years, but regularly servicing your furnace can extend its life much further. Of course, furnace lifespan is somewhat subjective – how many times you are willing to undertake and when the repair cost makes it more effective to replace it can differ.
It’s a good idea to start looking at a new model when your furnace is around 15 years old so you’ll be ready when it’s time to replace it. You’ll want to learn about the most up-to-date, energy-efficient solutions available, as well as get a price estimate. If you want to save money on energy, you should do some additional reading about the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating.
Though the upfront investment may seem high, buying a newer version has a lot of advantages compared to its older counterparts. New furnace models are constructed with an annualized fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating that characterizes the efficiency of each model
Factors that Decrease the Furnace Life Expectancy
As previously stated, the life expectancy of a furnace varies greatly. Some common issues affecting your furnace’s life are beyond your control, such as furnace sizing and installation, which are normally selected by your HVAC contractor. You have control over other elements such as upkeep and thermostat settings. Let’s take a closer look:
Furnace Size
It’s critical to have a system that’s the right size furnace for your home.
Shorter cycles cause more wear and tear on the parts of a furnace, so if the system is larger than it needs to be, it will switch on and off too frequently. Check out this article to learn how often a furnace should cycle.
Furnaces that are too small for the room may run for too long and struggle to heat your home, causing parts to wear out.
Poor Furnace Installation
For a variety of reasons, poor installation can shorten the life of your furnace. This is why it’s critical to use a qualified HVAC specialist for your furnace installation.
- Airflow is impacted by poorly built, scaled, or sealed ductwork, which can compromise your comfort and system performance.
- For high-efficiency furnaces, the drainage system is inadequate.
- Fuel lines that have been put incorrectly.
Lack of Routine Maintenance
Dirty buildup on heat exchangers, burners, and fan blades can shorten the life of your furnace in several ways if you skip recommended maintenance:
- Unclean filters can restrict airflow, making the system work harder.
- Motor life can be shortened by unbalanced fans.
- Heat exchangers with inefficient heat transfer might make the system work harder.
Settings For the Thermostat
The average life expectancy of a gas furnace is influenced by personal comfort preferences. For both energy efficiency and enough comfort, the U.S. Department of Energy advises setting your heating system thermostat to 68° Fahrenheit during the winter. Remember that a thermostat that is set too high or too low can cause the system to run more frequently, shortening its lifespan.
How Will I Know If My Furnace Needs To Be Replaced?
Regardless of how well the furnace is constructed or maintained, it will eventually approach the end of its useful life. For someone living in an older home, the furnace is likely at the end of its lifespan if it hasn’t been replaced within the last few years.
The following are some of the furnace replacement warning signs:
- Frequent service calls
- Expensive repair bills
- Unpredictable temperatures
- Inability to maintain the temperature set on the thermostat
- Cold air is blown by the furnace
- Strange sounds (aka loud noises) that are new or have risen
- Increased energy bills, particularly for high-efficiency furnaces
How to Extend the Life of a Furnace
The two easiest ways to extend the life of the furnace are:
- To replace the air filter as advised by the manufacturer, and
- To have your qualified HVAC dealer do annual furnace maintenance
Dirty filters or clogs can impede airflow, causing the furnace to work harder and for longer periods, reducing its lifespan. Dirty accumulation on internal components has an impact on performance, making the system work harder and potentially shortening its life.
Furthermore, keeping your home well-insulated and sealed can assist in minimizing thermal loss and cold air intrusion, both of which can place unnecessary pressure on your system. Keeping your ductwork clean and properly sealed/repaired will also help your furnace last longer.
Finally, keeping your thermostat settings at or near the DOE’s guidelines will help you save money and lengthen the life of your furnace.