When my husband and I bought our home, we knew the furnace wouldn’t last long.
The heating system was extremely outdated and not in the best conditioning. At the time, we couldn’t afford a new furnace. Far too many home repairs and upgrades were necessary. The house had stood empty for quite a few years. A leaking roof led to a great deal of water damage. We had to tear out ceilings, walls and floors, replace windows and buy new appliances. My husband and I hoped to be able to replace the furnace within five years. Unfortunately, other projects got in the way. A blown transmission required us to buy a new car. A clog led us to the discovery of some major problems with the plumbing pipes. We had no choice but to rely on the old heating system for several more years. We complained about it every winter. Despite setting the thermostat as low as possible, our utility bills were always high. There were cold spots in various rooms and the house frequently felt chilly. When the outside temperature dropped below freezing, the furnace couldn’t keep up. I was conscientious about replacing the air filter and scheduling professional maintenance, but we still dealt with minor repairs here and there. The HVAC technician who services and fixed the furnace always recommended installing a new heating system. We held off on the investment until the furnace quit one year during a February snowstorm. The temperature dropped down to negative ten degrees, and we were suddenly left without heat. We had to get financing to afford the new furnace. While the installation process was rushed and stressful, the new furnace is a huge improvement. We should have replaced the old heater years ago. Not only is the house way more comfortable, but there’s a lot less dust floating around. Plus, our monthly energy bills are quite a bit lower. The savings are going to help recover the cost.