7 Signs You Need a New Furnace This Winter (Ontario)

A furnace rarely dies in July. In Ontario it tends to fail on the coldest night of the year, when it has been working hardest — which is exactly why it pays to read the warning signs in the fall. Here are the seven that most reliably mean a furnace is near the end of its life, and which ones are a safety issue you should not sit on.

The 7 signs, from routine to urgent

• Age past 15 to 20 years — a well-maintained gas furnace typically lasts about that long; past it, efficiency drops and parts get harder to find.
• Climbing gas bills with no change in habits — a furnace losing efficiency burns more fuel to hold the same temperature.
• Uneven heat — rooms that never warm up while others cook, which points to a struggling blower or failing heat distribution.
• Short cycling — turning on and off every few minutes rather than running steady heating cycles.
• Frequent repairs — once you are calling a technician most winters, repair money is usually better put toward replacement.
• Strange noises — banging, rattling, or a persistent squeal that was not there before.
• A yellow or flickering burner flame instead of steady blue, or soot around the unit — have this checked promptly (see the safety note below).

Repair or replace?