Is It Worth Replacing Your Furnace's Blower Motor?
The blower motor is the part of your furnace that is responsible for blowing warm air through your ducts. If your blower motor fails, which does happen from time to time, your furnace may keep kicking on — but the heat won't circulate around your home. You then have a choice to make. Should you have your blower motor replaced, or should you just replace the whole furnace? Here are some factors to consider as you weigh this decision.
How old is your furnace?
The blower motor is often the first part to go on an older furnace. If you replace it, there's a chance that other components might fail in the coming months. By the time you make all of those repairs, you might wish you'd just replaced the furnace in the first place. So, when a furnace is aged, HVAC contractors usually recommend just replacing the whole furnace rather than the blower motor.
On the other hand, if your furnace is only a few years old, replacing the blower motor is usually worth it. It might be covered under warranty, making this an even better deal.
What's your budget?
A new blower motor typically costs a couple hundred dollars. Plus, you will pay a few hundred dollars more for the labor of installing it. Replacing the entire furnace will cost significantly more. So, if you don't have the money in your budget for a furnace replacement, replacing just the blower motor is cheaper and will at least allow you to have heat again.
Blower motor replacement costs do vary between companies and between furnace models, so it's worth getting two or three quotes for this work before picking an HVAC company to do it.
Is there a replacement blower motor available for your unit?
Ask your HVAC contractor if they are able to obtain an exact-match blower motor from your furnace's manufacturer. If they cannot, they will have to use an OEM blower motor that's made to fit a range of models. These can work, but they do not always work as well as a proprietary blower motor. If you have other reasons to consider replacing the entire furnace, a lack of availability of proprietary blower motors can be another reason to go in this direction.
When your blower motor fails, it's important to weigh your options. You could replace the motor or you could replace the whole furnace. The best approach depends on your unique situation.
For more information, contact local HVAC professionals.