How Long Does a Furnace Last? (REAL ANSWER)

If you have an older furnace in your home, you’re probably wondering how long it will last before you need to buy a new one.

The good thing is that there are visible signs that it’s time to repair your furnace or buy a completely new one.

We’ll talk about those later in the article, but let’s first answer the most important question.

How Long Does a Furnace Last?

Figuring out how long your furnace will last depends on a lot of different factors, including how well you have maintained it and when it was manufactured.

If you’re living in an older home and you didn’t pay much attention to your furnace, it’s most likely at the end of its lifespan.

However, a maintained furnace can last up to 20 years without any issues.

To be completely honest, if you maintain it well – it can last even more than that.

In most cases, oil-fueled furnaces usually have a longer lifespan compared to gas-fired furnaces.

When your furnace becomes more than 10 years old, it’s important to give it special attention and to look for new equipment to be prepared when it comes the time to fully replace it.

A great tip is to always choose the right size furnace for your home as you don’t want to buy a smaller or larger unit than you actually need.

The unit that’s too small will overwork to deliver which can quickly cause a bunch of issues, and larger units won’t run continuously.

Another great tip is to look for an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating because it saves energy.

Signs You Need to Repair Your Furnace

The furnace is older than 15 years

On average, furnaces last up to 20 years, so it’s important to start looking for a new replacement after 15 years of use.

However, if you maintain it well and take care of it – it can last up to 30 years without any problems.

Make sure to regularly replace dirty filters and seal your windows to stop heat from escaping your home.

It becomes very noisy

If you notice that your furnace has become a lot more noisy in the last few months, it might be time for a change.

Some of the most common noises are humming, screeching, clicking, and popping.

All of these noises are connected to different issues, but in general, they are warning signs to be prepared to change the furnace.

That’s why space heaters are so good because they don’t require maintenance and they’re relatively inexpensive compared to other heating solutions.

Higher energy bills

Once the furnace reaches a certain lifespan, it becomes very hard for it to distribute heat evenly throughout your home.

Because it has to overwork to deliver expected results, this can cause a huge spike in your bills every month.

You can do the math by yourself if your bills have risen in the past few months and calculate how much it will cost you if you don’t get a new furnace.

📍 Recommended read: 9 cheapest ways to heat your home this winter.

Furnace flames turn yellow

A well-working furnace always produces crystal-clear blue flames to heat your home.

If you noticed that the flames turned yellow, this could be connected to the fact that your furnace started producing carbon monoxide.

You don’t want to ignore possible gas leaks, so if you notice this – you should immediately seek professional help.