The Health Risks of Running an Aging Furnace
Furnaces tend to run quietly in the background, which means you might not notice problems until something goes drastically wrong. While you already know a furnace breakdown could leave you miserably cold, it’s easy to overlook the other health problems that aging heaters cause.
If your furnace is more than 10 years old, then it’s worth taking a look at the health risks you could face by continuing to run it. Although regular maintenance can usually keep furnaces running beyond the 10-year mark, you’ll want to be extra alert for signs that an older heater could be impacting your health.
Consider These Quick Takeaways
Giving these fast facts about how an aging furnace can impact your health gives you a great conversation starter for when you meet with our HVAC technician.
- Most furnaces have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years.
- Modern furnaces have features that can reduce health risks.
- Old furnaces can harbor mold, pet dander and other allergens.
- Carbon monoxide leaks require an emergency response.
- A heater replacement might be necessary to eliminate hazardous electrical problems.
What Are the Primary Health Risks Posed By Old Furnaces?
Learning about these health risks that an aging furnace poses can serve as inspiration to call our team at Miami One Hour for a full system inspection.
Watch Out for Higher Carbon Monoxide Risks
Carbon monoxide leaks are one of the most dangerous problems that an older heater can cause. These can happen when a heat exchanger develops a crack or the venting system gets blocked.
Low levels of carbon monoxide can generate health problems when they continue for a long period of time, and higher levels could be fatal.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause the following symptoms:
- Severe headaches
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Confusion
Be Wary of the Potential for Fires
Hopefully, you are already aware of the fire risks associated with portable space heaters. But, your home’s traditional furnace can also contribute to fires when it lacks proper maintenance or ages beyond the safety range.
Worn-out electrical components, such as wiring, can begin to spark or overload the electrical circuits. Gas furnaces pose an especially high risk of house fires once they develop issues such as clogged heat exchangers or improper gas pressure.
Understand How Old Furnaces Lower Air Quality
Furnaces play a significant role in promoting good air quality in your home. The furnace’s filtration system can develop clogs that allow debris to build up. A furnace that fails to regulate the moisture in the air can also make it easier for mold and mildew to grow. If you or someone in your household has allergies or asthma, then replacing furnace systems as they age is especially important for managing your respiratory symptoms.
At What Age is a Furnace Too Old for General Heater Repairs?
We usually recommend thinking about a furnace replacement around the time the heater is 10 to 15 years old. Our technicians know the average life span of the most common furnace models, and we can let you know if there are other issues occurring that make replacement necessary.
What Are Additional Signs It’s Time to Replace a Heater?
An outdated heater might no longer be able to heat your home efficiently. You can also look for these signs that your furnace needs a replacement.
- Frequent repairs
- High energy bills
- Uneven heating throughout the home
- Loud noises such as squeals and bangs
- A desire for more modern features that your furnace doesn’t support
How Do Modern Furnaces Prevent Health Issues?
One of the most noticeable features of modern furnaces is an improved filtration system. Your new furnace can come equipped with a HEPA filter, and you might be interested in models that have electrostatic filters that use an electrical charge to trap particulates before they circulate through your home’s air.
You can also request a new furnace that has smart technology. Having more control over the temperature in your home, air quality and energy efficiency allows you to enjoy stress-free living that enhances your overall health.
Will General Furnace Maintenance Prolong the Life of a Heating System?
Absolutely, but there is only so much our technicians can do once the heater no longer responds well to general maintenance. Changing the air filter and lubricating moving parts are two simple maintenance tasks that we recommend for prolonging furnace life spans.
FAQs
When you’re still on the fence about swapping out an old furnace, these answers to common questions can help you make a more confident decision.
Will an older furnace make allergies and asthma worse?
We often find older furnaces contributing to poor indoor air quality by failing to filter out airborne allergens such as dust and mold spores.
How old is too old for a modern furnace?
Modern furnaces can last as long as 20 or more years, but we tend to start assessing them for replacements near the 10 to 15-year mark.
How long does a furnace replacement take?
Most furnace replacements only take a few hours to a day to finish. We can give you the ideal timeline for your furnace replacement when we come to your house.
What are the additional benefits of planning to replace a furnace?
Our customers rave about their lower utility bills once they switch to a more energy-efficient furnace, and you should enjoy more even heating throughout your house.
Let Miami One Hour Help You Care for Your Health This Season
At Miami One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating, we do our best to minimize stress during the winter season. On top of standing by our commitment to making sure we’re on time or you don’t pay a dime, we also perform thorough heating system inspections.
We’ll leave the allergy testing up to your doctors, but we can absolutely tell you if we spot obvious signs of dust, mold and other forms of allergen buildup in the furnace system. We can also check for aging components that put you at risk for serious house fires, shocks or carbon monoxide poisoning.
