Is It Safe to Buy a Used Furnace?
Buying a used furnace just to save money isn’t a good idea because you don’t know how it was maintained or how old it is. Sellers aren’t always honest about these issues. You could end up with a furnace that doesn’t work or breaks down a few months later.
The Problem With an Old Furnace
Old furnaces usually aren’t worth buying because they are already in need of replacement. They are at higher risk of expensive breakdowns, frequent breakdowns, and inefficiency. Heating systems naturally lose efficiency with age even if they were well maintained, so your energy bills may be high if you install an old furnace. Gas furnaces last 15–20 years, and electric furnaces last 20–30 years. Once a system reaches the end of its expected lifespan, it’s considered old and in need of replacement.
Breakdowns
A used furnace is more likely to break down. You don’t know for certain what its maintenance and repair history has been. It could be in bad shape when you have it installed. When a major repair is needed, a replacement may be the more cost-effective option. We advise replacing a system if the repair costs are more than half the cost of a new system. In old systems, you should only consider repairing them if the repair costs are no more than one-third the cost of replacement.
Maintenance and Repairs
You may need to schedule a tune-up and repairs for the used furnace. We recommend that you have a furnace technician inspect the system before you buy it to help protect yourself if you want to buy a used system. However, it’s ideal to simply buy a brand-new furnace that you know you can rely on for a long time. We offer financing options on approved credit to make the cost of a new system easier to manage.
1st Choice Service Group Heating & Air is a heating and cooling company in Asheville, NC that has NATE-certified technicians. We have been in business since 2007. Our company is also a Lennox Premier Dealer and can work on different brands of heating and cooling systems. In addition to installation, we offer maintenance and repair of heating and cooling systems. Other services we provide include indoor air quality solutions, geothermal system service and repair, and commercial HVAC repair and maintenance. Contact 1st Choice Service Group Heating & Air to schedule a furnace inspection in Asheville.