You are viewing the Conyers, GA location.
Nobody wants to replace a home heating system in the middle of the winter. It’s inconvenient and can leave you without heating for a stretch. But sometimes it’s necessary.
The best way to avoid an emergency furnace replacement in McDonough, GA is always to have maintenance scheduled for the furnace in the fall. This helps the furnace get through the winter with few problems, and it also gives technicians a chance to warn you about having a failing furnace replaced before the winter arrives.
How can you tell if you need a mid-winter furnace replacement?
- Your furnace stops working completely during cold weather
- Repeated breakdowns make furnace replacement service more practical than repair
- Uneven heating or cold rooms signal serious system failure
- Rising energy bills indicate your home furnace is no longer operating efficiently
- An emergency home furnace replacement may be needed to restore safe, reliable heat
However, you may still run into a mid-season replacement situation. It’s not fun, but our team will see that it gets done fast so you’ll have your comfortable home restored. Below are ways to tell it’s time to get a new furnace mid-winter.
The furnace is over its estimated service life
We don’t recommend trying to push a furnace to work for as long as possible. We understand wanting to get the most years from your heating system that you can—it’s a major investment!—but you want to get ahead of a catastrophic furnace breakdown. If you have a gas furnace over 15 years old or an electric furnace over 20 years old, it’s at the point where it’s ready for a replacement. That may not mean a mid-winter replacement unless the other signs below are cropping up, such as tripped circuit breakers from the heater.
The furnace is making an extreme racket
You shouldn’t hear much noise from your furnace aside from the whir of the blower fan and the noise of the burners igniting. These sounds are just part of the background noise of winter. When the furnace starts making enough noise that it’s noticeable, it’s likely too worn down to keep, especially if you’re hearing unusual furnace sounds you shouldn’t ignore.
Your heating bills are far too high
When a furnace receives regular annual maintenance, it will retain 95% of its efficiency rating until the last one or two years of its life. So when you see that your winter heating bills have started to rise without any explanation, it may be that the heater is coming to the end of its service life, and it might be time to consider how maintenance impacts furnace performance.
The furnace needs an expensive repair
You call for an HVAC technician to come to repair your furnace, possibly because of noise or high heating bills. The technicians will give you a quote for the repair. If the cost is too high to justify, then it’s best to replace the furnace.
What’s too high? One rule of thumb is not to pay for a repair that’s more than half the cost of getting a new furnace. Another is to multiply the repair cost by the age of the furnace, and if the result is more than 5,000, the repair isn’t worth it. Our technicians can help you with making the best choice about how to proceed.
You had a recent safety concern with the furnace
If you had an incident where gas leaks from the furnace triggered your CO detectors, the furnace experienced flame roll-out (flames escaping the combustion chamber), or the furnace overheated, then it’s definitely wise to consider getting a new furnace if it’s old enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How can I tell if I need a furnace replacement in the middle of winter?
Answer: You may need a mid-winter furnace replacement if your system stops working entirely, cannot keep your home warm, or requires repeated repairs in a short time. These issues often indicate the furnace can no longer handle winter demand reliably.
Question: Is it normal for furnaces to fail during winter?
Answer: Yes. Furnaces work the hardest during winter, which can expose existing wear or hidden problems. Older or poorly maintained systems are more likely to fail under heavy use, making winter a common time for major furnace issues.
Question: When does repairing a furnace no longer make sense in winter?
Answer: Repairing may no longer make sense if the furnace is near the end of its lifespan, repair costs are high, or problems keep recurring. In these cases, replacement can be more cost effective and reliable than continuing repairs.
Question: Can a failing furnace still run but need replacement?
Answer: Yes. Some furnaces continue running but struggle to maintain heat, cycle constantly, or cause rising energy bills. These performance issues can signal serious internal wear, making replacement necessary even if the system has not completely failed.
Question: Is it safe to replace a furnace during winter?
Answer: Yes. Furnace replacement can be done safely during winter and often restores comfort quickly. Replacing a failing system promptly helps prevent extended downtime and ensures dependable heating for the rest of the season.