Cold weather has arrived, and with temperatures dropping by the day, you need your heating system to perform reliably when the snow starts to fall. As your heating system gets older, it’s going to require more and more attention to do its job. We recommend regular maintenance sessions for your system, which can help it last long after the warranty has expired. But sooner or later, you’re going to need to replace an older system. And that situation often comes when your older system suffers a breakdown.
The good news is that you’ve likely had to call in a heater repair service before, and the same service you used can help you determine whether a new heating system is needed, or whether a replacement session is in order.
REPAIR OR REPLACE?
If your heater suffers a breakdown, or even if it still works but you detect a problem with the system, you need to ask yourself if repairs are worthwhile, or if the money might be better spent on a new unit instead of being wasted on an old one that is on its last legs anyway.
Only you, the homeowner, can decide whether replacing your system is the best option or if repair is the right way to go. Either way, now is the time to make a move on any trouble. Your heating system needs to perform reliably once winter begins in earnest, and you still have a short time to schedule repairs or replacement at leisure, instead of scrambling in the wake of a catastrophic breakdown later in the winter.
There are usually two key factors involved in the decision to replace or just repair an older heater: the state of the warranty and the costs involved.
THE STATE OF THE WARRANTY
The warranty for each heating system lasts for a set number of years and covers the replacement costs of any original parts in the system. That means you should almost always repair the problem instead of replacing the system if the warranty is still in effect. You’ll only be paying the cost of labor and perhaps a few incidental parts such as bolts and screws.
Even if the warranty has expired, a repair bill might still be low enough to justify going with repairs instead of replacing the unit. Only when your warranty has expired and you’re paying more than you feel the system is worth should replacement become an option.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Again, only the individual can decide when the cost of repairs is more than the system is worth, and with regular maintenance, your system can last well beyond the expiration of the warranty. Generally speaking, “high costs” that prompt a replacement come when the warranty has expired and one of the following three things happens.
- High cost. A single repair costs more than you think the system is worth.
- Multiple costs. You have to pay for more than two repair jobs in a single 12-month period.
- High monthly costs. The cost of running the system is too high for your monthly budget.
For heating replacement and repairs in Tualatin, OR, call the pros at Western Heating & Cooling today!