With the kind of winters we get here in Western Colorado, you simply can’t afford to be without an operational furnace for any extended period of time. That’s why a red-tagged furnace can be such a nightmare. If a utility company representative or HVAC technician has deemed your furnace unsafe and ordered it to be shut down (or “red-tagged”), you will find yourself unable to heat your home until you address the issue that led to the red-tagged furnace in the first place.
It’s essential to stay cool, calm and collected if you have a red-tagged furnace. Homeowners make expensive mistakes when they panic and have to make a major decision in a short period of time. Here is a step-by-step guide to dealing with a red-tagged furnace:
- Have the issue diagnosed and get an estimate for the repairs. Keep in mind that you are well within your rights to seek a second opinion, both on the problem itself and the repairs.
- Compare the repair costs against the cost of a replacement furnace. Remember that many vendors will finance you for furnace purchases, so you won’t have to swallow the entire cost up front.
- Take operational costs and warranty protection into close consideration when evaluating the relative merits of repairing or replacing your furnace. While it may cost you less up-front to fix your current furnace, how much could you save each year if you bought a new furnace with superior energy efficiency? How old is your current furnace, and how much longer will it last even if you execute the repairs?
Some of the problems that lead to red-tagging, particularly damaged or cracked heat exchangers, can be extremely expensive to repair. In such cases, unless the heat exchanger is under warranty, it can be a better bet to purchase and install a new, more efficient furnace.
At Climate Control Company, we have been providing residents of Western Colorado with helpful advice and expert service at outstanding prices for more than 50 years. If you need advice on your red-tagged furnace dilemma, please don’t hesitate to contact us for help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about red-tagged furnaces and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
Climate Control Company services Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado.
