It’s a tough one especially when consid-ering the costs associated with repairing versus replacing. But if you’re frequently

applying band-aids with seemingly regular repairs, it may just be more cost efficient to replace your furnace and/or your cooling system. There are a number of questons to answer before making that call, including:

HOW OLD IS YOUR SYSTEM?If your furnace, boiler, or AC is more than 15 years old, chances are its efficiency is far lower than a much newer unit. Even if you’re not facing repairs, the unit, if built before the early 1990s is likely far less efficient, as much as 60 to 70 percent less efficient, than newer models; less efficiency equals higher operat-ing costs. The amount of money you’ll save in heating and cooling costs will help miti-gate the cost of a new unit. And the fact is, if the unit is more than 15 years old and you have not as of yet faced costly repairs, knock on wood, because it’s just a matter of tme.

FACING FREQUENT REPAIRS?Assuming your system is less than 15 years

old, if your equipment requires frequent repairs and you notce your energy bills ris-ing, again, the equipment has likely become less efficient and it may be tme to replace. Also, if you’re facing a significant repair on a major equipment component, like a cracked heat exchanger, it may be more cost effectve to replace than repair.

INCONSISTENT OR PROBLEM-ATIC AIR TEMPERATURES IN YOUR HOME?Some rooms are too hot or too cold; the house is too humid or has excessive dust. Some of these may point to, hopefully, minor and repairable issues. For example, inadequate insulaton, leaky duct issues or minor improper equipment operaton may be culprits and each can be handled with a repair. But, it may not be that simple. Your system should be providing you with bal-anced, comfortably regulated air, and if it is not, the only way to know for sure wheth-er it’s time to repair or replace, is to give M.E. Flow a call. If it’s been over six months since your system has been serviced, we’d

suggest having it serviced by one of our service technicians and let the technician know about your concerns. However, if your system has been recently serviced and you’re stll having problems, it may be tme to talk about its replacement with a Home Comfort Advisor.

ASSESSING THE HEALTH OF YOUR SYSTEMThere’s no substitute for having a highly trained and qualified technician provide a reliable and honest assessment of your equipment. The fact is that some decade-old systems need to be replaced for a va-riety of reasons including lack of proper maintenance, and some 20-year-old sys-tems, while perhaps not as efficient as newer models, look like new because of regular and preventatve maintenance. An M.E. Flow Home Comfort Advisor will know exactly what to look for to determine the health and longevity of your unit. Each and every situaton in each and every home, of-fice or commercial facility is different and the only way to determine what makes the

by Adeline Moore

Should You Repair or ReplaceYOUR HOME COMFORT SYSTEM?

34 COMFORT ZONE I MEFLOW.COM

most sense for your situaton is to have a Home Comfort Advisor make an assess-ment that would include telling you what it will cost and what your potential sav-ings will be with a newer, high efficiency unit. It’s your decision and we understand it’s based on a number of factors includ-ing cost, your comfort and, for many, en-vironmental and energy efficiency con-sideratons. Consider letting an M.E. Flow Home Comfort Advisor help you make the right decision.

0-2 POINTSREPAIRBased on information you pro-vided, your HVAC system should be repaired! In order to fix your unit, please reach out to our team of experts to request a diagnosis. Remember, regular maintenance for your HVAC sys-tem is required to keep your unit operating properly. Use these tps to prevent future problems: don’t skip routne maintenance, make a call to service when there is an unusual problem, keep your coils and filters clean, and keep the outdoor unit free of debris. Better yet, let us re-mind you when it’s tme for ser-vice by signing up for a service

maintenance agreement. You’ll never forget to care for your sys-tem again!

3-5 POINTS ASSESSMENTAlthough your system is run-ning now we recommend that you take the opportunity to dis-cuss your replacement optons with one of our professional Home Comfort Advisors. This will give you peace-of-mind knowing that you are prepared when that day comes. There is no charge for this in-home consultaton to further inspect your unit! In order to give you the most accurate advice, please reach out to our team

of Home Comfort Advisors to schedule an appointment. 6-8 POINTS REPLACEBased on the information you provided, your HVAC system should be replaced! In order to determine the best new system for your home, please reach out to our team of experts to request an in-home consultation for a no-obligaton quote from one of our Home Comfort Advisors. Did you know that if your system is more than ten years old, it could be using twice the amount of energy that a new one would? Call the request a quote hotline today at 703-348-3484.

1. Age of your unit?

a. 1-7 b. 8-12

2. How much have you spent on your

unit in the past year?

a. Under $600 b. Over $600

3. Are your energy bills increasing

each month?

a. Yes b. No

4. Do you regularly maintain

a. Yes b. No

5. Does your home have humidity problems?

a. Yes b. No

6. Are some rooms in your home often too

cold or too hot?

a. Yes b. No

7. Is your Furnace unusually noisy?

a. Yes b. No

8. Does your home have excessive dust?

a. Yes b. No

Take The Quiz!

.

1: New units can have up to a 20 SEER efficiency ratng,reducing monthly costs significantly.

2: An oversized unit’s constant cycling leads to poor humidity control and premature failure.

3: Leaky ducts can pull partcles and air from attics or basements and distribute them throughout your house causing an increase in household dust.

KEY: 1. a-0, b-1 2. a-0,b-1 3. a-1, b-0 4. a-0, b-1 5. a-1, b-0 6. a-1, b-0 7. a-1, b-0 8. a-1, b-0

Is it Time to Repair or Replace Your Faulty System?

35 703.539.5306 I COMFORT ZONE