What’s the Best Time of Year to Replace My Furnace?

What’s the Best Time of Year to Replace My Furnace?

A good furnace could potentially last up to 20 years or more, but sooner or later, it’s going to need to be replaced. New furnace sales are expensive, so you’re going to want to try to get the best deal possible on the appliance and labor.

There are several ways to reduce the cost, but one of the best ways is something many people overlook: timing. As long as your current furnace is still working well enough, you could potentially have it replaced any time during the year. So when would be the best time to call a furnace sales shop for an upgrade?

Let’s take a look.

I. Seasons and Furnace Sales

Supply and demand in the furnace industry are heavily influenced by the seasons and weather, in two big ways.

1 – Demand on repair crews

People are running their furnaces hardest during the winter, and that’s when a flaky furnace is most likely to fail. So furnace repair shops are going to be high demand in the winter – and the colder it is, the busier they’re going to be.

So it’s very common for furnace companies to have higher labor prices in the winter, due to basic market forces. Also, they may simply be swamped with work. You could end up waiting for days or weeks for a service call, if you want a new furnace in the middle of the winter.

2 – Manufacturing trends

Furnace manufacturers are also well aware that demand for furnaces tends to change over the course of the year, and set their manufacturing targets to match. So there are fewer furnaces available in the summer than in the fall, for example. However, this tendency can also create shortages. If there’s a particularly harsh winter, furnace sales outlets may find themselves running low on stock before the winter is done.

So more than anything else, the biggest takeaway here is that you should never replace your furnace during the winter if you can possibly avoid it. Prices and availability will both be unfavorable to you.

II. The Best Season for a New Furnace

So when is the best time to buy a new furnace?

Generally speaking, it’s in the late spring or early summer.

By late spring, when everything has thawed, demand for furnace services will go way down – especially as all the backlogged service calls and installations from the winter get sorted out. Likewise, at this time of year, most homeowners aren’t thinking about their furnace. They’re thinking about whatever other repairs or improvements are needed for the summer.

So, calls for furnace repairs and installations will be at their lowest around this time. Many furnace companies even tend to run extra deals and specials, especially if they have overstock from the last season. It’s not guaranteed, but you can usually get a better deal on a new furnace in late spring than any other time of year.

However, don’t wait too long. By late summer, people may already be looking ahead to the winter. And autumn is peak time for proactive owners to do repairs and upgrades before cold weather hits, which will cause prices to start going up.

All things being equal, late spring is the best time for furnace upgrades.

III. Other Benefits to Off-Season Furnace Upgrades

Beyond prices, there are a couple other reasons you want to look into furnace sales during the off-season.

1 – More time to consider

You don’t want to get into fall, realize you need a new furnace, and have to scramble to get it installed before freezing weather hits. Furnaces are expensive long-term purchases, and you definitely want to do as much research as possible before buying.

In particular, do you want to stick to your current style of furnace, or upgrade to a new technology like heat pumps? This is a complicated question, and you want plenty of time to research it before committing to a major purchase.

2 – Better customer service

Any good furnace sales shop is going to want to give great service to every customer, year-round. However, the reality is that that they have limited staff. If the store is swamped with service calls in the autumn and winter, they’re simply not going to have as many resources available to help you.

So calling in the off-season means that they’ll be able to dedicate more time and energy to getting your business. They’ll be able to spend more time consulting with you, and looking at your current setup, so they can recommend the best option for your home. You could easily end up with a better heating solution in the spring than in the fall, thanks to the extra attention.

IV. Is it Time to Upgrade Your Furnace?

If you’re on the fence about whether this year is the right year to upgrade, here are a few other factors to consider.

1 – The age of your current furnace

As mentioned above, a properly-installed and well-maintained furnace should be expected to last at least 15 years, and electric furnaces tend to last longer than gas-burners. But once they start approaching 20 years, they’ll probably start breaking down more often. Upgrading could be more cost-effective than more furnace repairs.

2 – Repair frequency

You should go multiple years without having do to major work on your furnace. If you need repairs every year, it’s time to start thinking about upgrading. And if your furnace needs multiple repairs per year, it’s on its last legs and it’s definitely time for a new furnace.

3 – Energy efficiency

Modern furnaces are far more energy-efficient than models from even ten years ago. If your power bill is too high and you’re thinking long-term, a new furnace or heat pump could end up saving money in the long run through lower power usage.

Melton Heating & Air Conditioning is the best source in Salem, OR, for furnace sales, repairs, and upgrades. If you’re thinking it’s time for new furnace, contact us for top-quality service and support.

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September 11, 2024 Blog

Why Does My Furnace Smell Like Burning?

When you turn on the furnace in your Salem or Keizer, OR, home, you expect to get a rush of soothing warm air quickly and nothing else. However, furnaces are highly complicated pieces of machinery, and there’s a lot that can go wrong. One of the most common issues is to smell something burning, either through the vents or off the heater.

In general, if you smell something burning in your furnace, that problem will require heater repair from qualified professionals. However, that’s not always the case. So, we wanted to investigate why you can get burning smells from a furnace and the various things that can cause this.

Why Your Furnace Smells Like Something Is Burning

1. It’s the first time firing up your furnace this year

Let’s start with the best-case scenario. If it’s your first time firing up the furnace, there’s a very good chance you’ll get musty or burning smells for a little while afterward. This is normal because the furnace has accumulated dust and grime during the months it’s been sitting unused. These get burned off as it heats up until everything combustible is gone.

As long as the smell goes away within an hour or so, there’s nothing to worry about. This could have been prevented by having a furnace check-up before firing it up, which is a good idea but not an absolute necessity.

2. It’s not your furnace; it’s your ducts

Regarding non-problems, what if you keep smelling the burning, but everything seems fine around your furnace? If that’s the case, the issue could easily be in your ducts. Ductwork also attracts dust, grime, oil, and other unpleasant substances. If these have built up during the hot months, they can then start burning or smoldering when the furnace heats the ductwork.

In this case, the solution is simple: professional duct cleaning. Having your ducts cleaned every five years (at minimum) or so is a good idea. This won’t merely prevent odd smells when you run the heater; it’ll also improve indoor air quality by clearing out the contaminants in your ducts.

In particular, dust forming around the exit vents in your ducts is a big sign they need to be cleaned. Ask about our duct cleaning service.

3. The air filter is clogged

When is the last time you cleaned the air filter in your furnace? It’s easy to forget about it, especially during the off-season. However, if the filter is clogged, that will cause many issues – potentially including odd smells. Basically, the furnace heats dust and other materials trapped in the filter, which smolders and sends the smell through your house.

So, check your air filter, which should be easy to access. Then either clean it off, if it’s not too dirty, or replace it. Replacements are cheap and readily available at any home improvement store and even most “big box” style stores.

4. Electrical problems

Now we’re getting into the more serious issues. If you know the problem isn’t in the ducts or the air filter, there’s the possibility of electrical issues. For example, mice or other critters might have gotten into the heater and started gnawing on the wires, causing sparks or shorts.

If it’s an electrical issue, you may be able to hear the sparking or smell ozone coming from the heater. Your house could also have brownouts or other more significant electrical problems in more severe cases.

If you suspect an electrical problem, do not attempt to fix it yourself. There’s a lot of current running through the furnace, and it’s genuinely dangerous for amateurs to work on. Shut down the furnace at the breaker box, if needed, and call for professional heater repairs in Salem immediately.

5. Mechanical problems

A heater has many moving parts, which should be properly lubricated and moving with minimum friction. However, if the lubrication has run out or parts have shifted, they can start rubbing against each other – producing heat and burning rubber or metal smells.

In this case, you’ll usually hear unusual sounds from inside the furnace, such as clanging, banging, or grinding. If your furnace ever gets noisy well beyond what it typically sounds like, that’s almost always a mechanical issue that needs professional care.

Don’t ignore the problem – it will almost certainly only get worse over time, and that means more expensive heater repairs when you do call for help.

6. Issues with portable heaters

If you’re using portable space heaters, most of the advice above applies. If you smell burning, the most likely causes are either contamination within the heater, electrical issues, or mechanical failure. These are often easier to detect with portable heaters since it’s smaller and the scents will be more concentrated.

However, also make sure to check the power source. Is the burning smell coming from the heater or the wall socket plugged into it? The power plug or power brick could also be the problem and will likely need to be replaced if so.

Melton’s Is Here to Keep Your Furnace Running Smoothly

Since 1966, we’ve been the go-to source for furnace repairs and heat pump repairs across the Willamette Valley. We’re proudly family-owned, with a team of experts who’ve been with the company for years. No matter how new or old your furnace is, we have the tools and skills to keep it running properly!

If you think you smell something burning around your furnace or heater, don’t wait for the problem to get worse. Contact Melton’s for great furnace repair in Salem or Keizer, OR, area.

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April 22, 2023 Blog