Is It Safe to Buy a Used Furnace?

If your old furnace has stopped working or no longer effectively heats your house, you might be looking for ways you can save on replacing it. A new furnace could cost thousands to purchase and install, which is quite a major investment for most homeowners. For this reason, you might be wondering whether you can save money by buying a used furnace instead in order to save a bit of money. The answer to that is technically a yes, but as you’ll soon see, buying a new furnace is generally always the better choice.

Do You Actually Know What You’re Getting?

One of the biggest reasons not to buy a used furnace is that it’s impossible to really know what you’re getting. Furnaces only have a limited lifespan, and there's always a good chance that a used heater is nearing the end of its time. Knowing how old the furnace is will help provide some information, but age alone doesn’t give you the full picture.

How often the furnace was used is a much better indicator of how much life it has left. Unfortunately, heaters don’t come with an odometer or any other way to actually know this information for sure. In addition, a furnace requires regular maintenance to function properly, but there's also no way for you to know how well the unit was maintained other than taking the seller’s word for it.

Buying a new furnace is almost always the best option. Nonetheless, if you do still decide to buy used, there are a few things that can help to ensure you know what you’re getting. For starters, you should always buy from a commercial reseller and never from a private seller. If you buy from a reputable commercial reseller, you can at least have some guarantee that the heater actually works and is free from any major problems. This is because most resellers will refurbish used units before they sell them. As well, you should also have the appliance inspected by a professional technician before buying to ensure everything is as the seller says it is.

Repairs and Energy Efficiency

Older furnaces tend to suffer from more problems, which is the biggest reason why you should always buy new if possible. Although you may save some money upfront by buying a used furnace, you may not end up saving all that much in the long run. Depending on the condition of the equipment and why the original owner sold it, you could end up spending a ton of money on repairs just to keep it running. There's also no guarantee that the furnace won’t suddenly stop working not long after you bought it.

Energy efficiency is another factor that you definitely want to consider. A new furnace is virtually guaranteed to be far more energy-efficient than any used unit you buy. Not only are newer furnaces much more efficient than units produced 10 to 15 years ago, but the energy efficiency of a heater tends to decrease as it ages. This means that you’ll likely end up spending far more on your heating costs if you decide to buy a used furnace than you would if you bought a new unit.

New Furnace Warranties

Most new furnaces will come with a limited warranty, which means you won’t have to pay for repairs if a problem occurs. On average, a heater will come with a 10-year limited parts warranty and potentially up to a 20-year warranty for the heat exchanger. Unfortunately, this is something you won’t get if you choose to buy a used appliance.

Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Hazards

Another reason not to buy a used furnace is that there's really no guarantee that it's safe to operate. The chance of a furnace suffering from issues with carbon monoxide or combustion hazards increases with age. As a result, buying a used furnace could result in hazardous conditions that you could’ve avoided by buying new.

If you’re considering your options for replacing your old furnace, the experienced team at New River Heating & Air is here to help. We're located in Bradford, PA and provide professional heating services to customers in Blacksburg, Dublin, Pulaski, and other nearby communities. Our highly trained HVAC technicians can also assist with any of your air conditioning installation, maintenance, and repair needs. We also specialize in indoor air quality, generators, tankless water heaters, and commercial HVAC service. For more information on any of the services we provide or to schedule an appointment, contact New River Heating & Air today.