Winter’s knocking on the door. Here in northern California, it’s smart to heed that knock, especially if you want to skate through the season without any heating system shutdowns.

So that begs the question:  does your system have what it takes to keep you nice and warm and without a breakdown or interruption?  It may not if your system is prone to any of these symptoms, each of which indicates a system on the decline:

Here are the most common warning signs that either your furnace needs to be repaired or replaced:

• Soaring Heating Costs. The older and more sluggish your furnace, the harder and longer it has to work to keep you warm.  And that’s what accounts for the significant increases in heating costs.

• More Frequent Repairs. Since heating systems aren’t designed to last forever, it stands to reason that the older they get, the more prone they become to poor performance and breakdowns.  Give it enough time, and sooner or later it’s just not worth even another penny to fix something that’s only sure to break down again – and again.

• Furnace is Constantly Running. A furnace is designed to run until it achieves the desired temperature, and then cycle off for a while until more heat is needed.  If, however, yours is constantly running, then either there’s a problem with your furnace, thermostat, or ductwork.  Any way you slice it, it needs to be checked.

• Hot and Cold Spots. Once again, furnaces are designed to deliver a consistent amount of warm air to each room it serves.  If, however, you’re perfectly comfortable in one room but “not so much” elsewhere, a problem exists, and it’s one that needs looking into.

Another reason to consider replacing your heating system is its age, especially when you consider that the average system lifespan is 15 – 20 years.  Even if yours is just 10 years old, chances are it’s operating at no better than 60% energy efficiency – far less than when you first had it installed.  A new heating system will pay for itself in energy savings alone.

Not sure what you next move should be?  Today we invite you to call Boden Plumbing Heating & Air to arrange a thorough heating system cleaning and inspection.  In the process, we’ll gain a very good idea of what condition it’s in and whether or not it’s worth keeping, even if does need a repair or two.  At least that way you’ll be making a truly informed decision as to what’s in your best interests.  With Boden, you can always count on that kind of honest and straightforward advice.