If you’re asking this question, you’re likely in one of two positions:
- You had a new furnace installed (we hope we installed it!) and you’re curious about how many years of good heating performance you’re going to get from this investment.
- You’ve had your current furnace for many years—you may have lost count—and wonder when it will be advisable to replace it.
If you’re in the first position, it’s good that you’re thinking ahead. A bit of knowledge can help your furnace last even longer. If you’re in the second, you’re entering a planning stage and may have reason to think your furnace won’t last much longer. It’s important that you don’t just let the furnace run until it completely fails. Getting ahead of an emergency breakdown is part of wise home comfort and will help you avoid high bills and unnecessary expenses.
The Average Furnace Life Expectancy
Time to get into the actual numbers. Here are two generalizations about furnace life expectancy:
- Natural gas furnaces can last from 15 to 20 years with proper maintenance.
- Electric furnaces can last over 20 years with proper maintenance.
Seems straightforward. But “with proper maintenance” is a key part. Any furnace system is designed with annual maintenance in mind. The manufacturer’s estimated service life, which usually matches the estimates above, is only accurate if the furnace has professional inspections and tune-ups done each year as part of regular HVAC maintenance.
If a furnace doesn’t have regular maintenance, the upper level of its life expectancy will start to drop. It may even be cut in half. A gas furnace that’s neglected may need to be replaced after only eight years, and that’s a large waste of money.
Trying to Push Life Expectancy With Repairs
If your furnace has entered the “replacement age” (such as 15 years for a gas furnace), we recommend you stay vigilant about its performance so you’ll know when to move ahead with the replacement.
You’ll feel tempted to get the most years of work from your furnace, and that can mean calling for furnace service in New Braunfels, TX to repair the heater and keep it going. However, sinking money into repairs to attempt to get a furnace to the upper range of its service life is not always the best use of money. Any repair that is more than half the cost of investing in a new furnace is paying too much. You’ll enjoy better heating and energy savings, plus more convenience, if you leave the repairs aside and put in a new system.
The Young Furnace With the Long Life
If you have a new furnace, we’ve already furnished you with the best tip for getting the longest service life from it: never miss out on regular maintenance. If your furnace was just installed this month or last month, you don’t need maintenance for it yet. But next fall is when we advise you to arrange for the furnace’s first maintenance appointment.
Check out our maintenance programs and sign up: if you sign up now, you’ll get started with your AC maintenance in spring—just as important for your home comfort.
At Thayer Air Conditioning, Your comfort is our #1 priority! Call us for furnace service—we’re already on our way!
