Heating FAQ’s

It is likely that systems older than 10 years will exhibit some signs of slowing down and losing efficiency. If you do regular maintenance and a few minor repairs, you might get another 10 years out of it, but watch for slow warming, reduced airflow, higher energy bills, strange odors, and loud noises.

You can expect your furnace to last 15-20 years with proper maintenance. It depends on a lot of factors, like how often it’s been maintained, what kind of furnace it is, how harsh the winters have been. While there are so many variables, one thing’s for sure: DOC Heating & Cooling can make your system work better for longer.

Don’t wait until your furnace breaks before you replace it. Heating emergencies usually happen in the dead of winter – you’ll be so excited to get your heat back on that you might not carefully consider all your options and you may have trouble scheduling an installation. If we perform annual maintenance, we’ll have an opportunity to catch early warning signs and recommend the proper repair or replacement.

Consider replacing equipment if it’s beyond three-quarters of its life expectancy and repairing it will cost more than a third. You should also look at the monthly operating costs, since a newer, more efficient unit may actually save you money.

Furnaces come in many sizes, with a lot of features, so it’s really hard to give an exact answer. You can get a quality furnace starting around $3,000 on average. If you have good credit, you can qualify for financing. Plus, there are often rebates, tax credits, and energy incentives to help you get a lower price.

It’s true, upgrading your air conditioning or adding air purifying products when you get a new furnace saves you labor and trip charges. Our DOC Heating & Air tech knows how they work together and can take care of multiple comfort needs in one visit.

From a simple clog in the drain line to a dirty condensate trap, there are a number of things that might cause leaks. You might want to check the pipe that runs to the floor drain. If water is draining properly, then you need a more detailed inspection to figure out what’s wrong before water damage or mold occur. Make sure you get service, especially if you didn’t do your annual maintenance.

Winter heating is made safer, more reliable, and more efficient with annual maintenance. Give us a call before the temperature drops so we can test and adjust your system while performing a Precision Tune-up to get your system ready for winter.

You should replace one-inch disposable filters every month, but four-inch media cartridges and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters should only be replaced every six to 12 months. You’ll need to replace them more frequently if you smoke indoors, burn candles, have pets, or have construction in your neighborhood.