Your central heating system is one of your home’s major household components with the longest expected service life. A gas-fired furnace has a life expectancy of 16 to 20 year, usually about five years longer than the typical air conditioner or heat pump. However, service life of any mechanical device depends on many factors.
Some are fixed, including average yearly operating hours related to local climate and the length of the annual heating season. However, other variables can have a direct impact on how long your central heating system will continue to keep your home comfortable effectively and efficiently.
Right Sizing
A central heating system should never be matched to a home on a “one size fits all” basis. To determine the precise BTU requirements of your home, as well as the make and model of the unit most appropriate to meet those demands, a heating load calculation must be performed by a qualified HVAC contractor. Over-sized and under-sized furnaces waste energy and incur excess wear and tear, leading to reduced service life.
Professional Installation
Defects that detract from energy-efficiency, performance and expected service life of new equipment can be literally “built-in” to your system if proper installation is neglected. A professional installation performed according to industry-standard procedures is vital to a long functional life.
Condition of Your Home
The efficiency of the home where a furnace is installed can also affect how long the unit will last. In homes with inadequate insulation, high air leakage rates and deteriorating ductwork, furnaces will run longer “on” cycles to compensate for heat loss. Longer operating hours mean shorter expected service life.
Regular Maintenance
Every central heating system should get an annual inspection and tune-up by a qualified HVAC technician at the outset of the heating season. In addition to lowering operating costs by sustaining energy efficiency, annual check-ups can reduce wear and tear that result in expensive repairs and premature system failure.
For more ways to ensure your central heating system delivers maximum performance in your Lorain, Erie or Cuyahoga County home, contact the professionals at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about central heating system and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area