Unwittingly, you entered a contest you weren’t sure you could win: Nursing your furnace through another heating season, probably with a few repairs along the way. Your prize? A new furnace, probably at a discounted price.
Just as you can scoop up real bargains on winter clothing in the spring, the odds are strongly in favor of you saving money on a new furnace in the spring. It’s true that you may not enjoy full use of your new furnace until next season — just as you may wear that new winter coat only a few times until next season, too. So stay focused on the higher price you would likely pay if you were to delay upgrading, waiting to make your furnace purchase at the height of next heating season, when the simple economics of supply and demand will be working against you.
As a consumer, you may not be privy to some of the dynamics of the HVAC industry:
- February through May are usually the “dog months”—a time when furnace-repair calls slow down but air-conditioning calls have not yet begun
- Contractors are often more willing to negotiate a better deal on a new furnace during this slow period
- Furnace discounts may be easier to procure as contractors clear out last year’s inventory to make room for this year’s newer models
Replacing your furnace now also may be ideal if:
- Your furnace is over 15 years of age
- Your troubled furnace has required recent repairs
- Your gas or electric bills have been getting steadily higher
- The rooms in your home are not evenly heated
- The air in your home is dry, stale or stuffy
- Your furnace’s burner flame is yellow instead of blue, which could signify it could be leaking dangerous levels of carbon monoxide
- Your furnace is making loud or unusual noises
It’s never easy to keep an ailing furnace on an even keel, but now it’s time to make your wait pay off. Call the furnace experts at Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning and we’ll properly size, install and guarantee your new furnace so that you can enter another type of contest — one for long-term furnace efficiency and reliability over the coming heating seasons.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
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