During the winter months, many households rely solely on their home's heating system to keep a house warm and comfortable. Unfortunately, a residential heating system does not last forever, so eventually you will have to replace your home's heater. The key to replacing your residential heating system is to know when replacement is necessary— no one wants to deal with a heater that has failed completely when it is extremely cold outside. Paying attention to your heating system and recognizing the clues that it is on its last leg will give you time to contact a heating contractor to make arrangements to have the system replaced. Common signs that it is time to replace your home's heater include the following.

Heating Costs Rise Dramatically

Keeping a home warm during the middle of winter is not cheap, but homeowners typically know what type of bill to expect each month. If you receive one or more bills that is significantly higher than what you have paid in the past, it can be a sign that you may need to replace your heater soon. When a residential heater is old and begins to wear down, it will not be able to run as efficiently as it used to. This means that it has to work harder to keep your home heated, resulting in more energy used and higher heating costs.

Frequent Cycling 

Once your home has reached the desired temperature set on the thermostat, your heater should turn off for a while. Frequent cycling, meaning that the heater turns on for a few minutes, turns off, and then restarts a few minutes later is a big red flag. In many cases, frequent cycling occurs when the heat exchanger overheats, causing the system to turn off. When the heat exchanger cools down slightly, the heating system will turn back on, repeating the cycle. Do not ignore frequent cycling by your home's heater— it often indicates a big problem and means that your heater does not have a lot of life left.

Repairs Are Piling Up

Repairing a residential heater is a lot less expensive than replacing it, but when it gets to the point where your heating system needs repair on a regular basis, it may no longer be worth paying to have the repairs made. This is especially true if you know that your heater is quite old and has been used for many years. If you find yourself calling a local residential heating company often to have your heater repaired, it is worth exploring your options and looking for a new heater.