A rainy, cold spring day can be enjoyable with the help of a cup of something hot, a cozy sweater, and a home kept reasonably warm by your heater. But what happens if your heater isn’t quite up to par lately? All the hot drinks and warm clothes in the world won’t replace the impact that a good furnace will have on your comfort.

• The furnace is making odd noises : One of the first signs that your furnace needs repairs is when it starts to make odd sounds. This can include rattling, clanging, booming, buzzing, hissing, or screeching. Each of these sounds may indicate a couple of repair needs, so make sure to have a technician check things out.
• Your energy bills have started to increase : Running your furnace isn’t cheap, but it should be an ever-increasing expense. If you haven’t increased your usage of your furnace but your energy bills are on the rise nonetheless, it may mean you need furnace repairs.
• The furnace has trouble starting up or staying on : Build-up in or damage to different parts of your furnace can result in operational troubles. This may show up as a furnace that short cycles or one that has major delays when it is starting up.
• The furnace is under 10 years old : We include this because this can be the key differentiator to look for. A furnace that is under 10 years old is more likely to just need repairs to get by.

• Repairs have become a yearly event : Furance repairs should really only be something that pops up every few years, especially if you get maintenance regularly. Needing repairs more often than this is a warning sign.
• Your furnace repairs have become too expensive : If the cost of your repair could pay for half or more of the price of a new system, your money is better spent on the new system.
• The system is between 10 and 15 years old : Old age can be the first warning that you at least need to prepare for getting a system replacement soon.