One of our long time customers had us out for their yearly maintenance check this past week. They had been noticing some problems towards the end of last season, and wanted a full check of the system. After I looked the system up and down, I found that the problems were more extensive than the homeowners thought. The sad news was the furnace finally died, but the good news was that it was installed all the way back in 1974 and had only had one repair. Yes, even old Lennox furnaces need a new thermocouple every decade or so. Despite the fact that it now needed replacement, I was impressed by the trouble free service this furnace gave to its owner over the years. I guess it shows that routine maintenance does prolong the life of the furnace.
35 Years of Faithful Service
After 35 years of faithful service this customer wouldn’t settle for anything less than a new Lennox furnace as a replacement for their old Lennox unit. If it were my home, I would have made the same decision. If I knew for a fact that a certain furnace manufacturer created reliable units, I wouldn’t settle for some other brand.
Built to Last
Why did it last that long? I believe it was because they had it maintained yearly and because it was built to last. These days there are a lot of cheaply made replacement furnaces on the market and they are typically made to last at most 10 to15 years. A 10 to 15 year lifespan is not what I would consider a good furnace. A furnace will only last its entire lifespan if it is properly maintained. If it isn’t taken care of, it will more than likely only last five to seven years.
Maintenance is Key
My personal thoughts are buy a replacement furnace that is made to last well over twenty years and take care of it. The last furnace I bought is now 18 years old and running great. I bought a 90% efficient furnace that has saved me a ton of money over the past 18 years compared to my neighbors with 80% furnaces. The key is maintenance. It’s that simple.
