You’ll find many different answers to the question how long should a furnace or HVAC system last. Some say units only last as few as ten years, others say they didn’t need to replace theirs for up to 20. For the purposes of this article, let’s assume the average lifespan for a furnace or air conditioner is around 15 years. While it is important to know about how long a unit should last, it is more crucial to find out how to optimize that time and how to extend the lifespan. Thankfully, the most important, the easiest, and the best way to take care of your furnace and air conditioner units takes very little effort on the homeowner’s part. It is simply this: schedule routine Spring Lake furnace service every year. This small step is also the most impactful step in optimizing the lifespan of your furnace.
Spring Lake Furnace Service Extends Units Lifespan
The number one way to make your furnace last as long as possible is with proper maintenance and routine care. As with any mechanical unit, taking good care of your furnace is the best way to keep it running for as long as possible. Keeping parts lubricated, cleaning debris from inside of the unit, and maintaining proper airflow throughout the system are all services that assist in keeping your furnace running smoothly.
In addition to keeping a clean and well-oiled machine, on-time repairs extend a furnace’s lifespan. Perhaps the better way to look at this is that the longer you wait to find and make repairs, the more damage and stress the unit experiences. Every incident of damage takes some time off of your furnace’s lifespan. Plus, the more time the furnace is in use while damaged, the more time is taken off the life of the unit. Therefore, the sooner you make repairs, the better.
Even if your unit does not have any actual damages, a stressed unit lasts a significantly shorter amount of time than an efficient one. A dirty machine is an inefficient machine. Even the smallest amount of dust eventually builds-up to significant amounts. As this debris gunks up gears and bearings, the furnace has to work harder and harder to be effective. The longer the furnace is allowed to be under the additional stress, the sooner the unit will need to be replaced.
A furnace that is inspected by a Spring Lake furnace service professional remains cleaner, runs more efficiently, and lasts for more years than a neglected unit.
Routine Furnace Maintenance Improves Efficiency
The reason that a clean and well-maintained furnace lasts longer is because it is under the least amount of stress while it is in use. Just as stress takes years off of our lives, machines that operate under high amounts of stress will die much earlier than is necessary. Neglecting your furnace by skipping an annual inspection might seem like you are saving money. While this might be true in the short term, it will cost a homeowner so much more in the long run. This is simply because new units cost much more than an annual cleaning. Plus, an efficient machine typically experiences less damage and require less repairs. The more wear-and-tear a furnace experiences, the more expensive the repairs. Yet another way that a well-maintained furnace saves you money is with lower energy bills because it is also much more expensive to run a machine under excessive strain.
Take Care of Your Furnace with Annual Spring Lake Furnace Service
Checking and changing the air filter is just one step of Spring Lake furnace service that every homeowner should be doing every few months. Other routine furnace services should include tasks like a full inspection and a thorough cleaning by a trained professional. When you take better care of your furnace, it will take better care of you for as long as possible. Sure, you could save yourself a few hundred dollars every year by skipping it. But, you’ll be spending thousands in just a few years when you need to replace your entire unit. A furnace that receives professional care every year will run efficiently for as many years as possible.