Furnace replacement and repair in Woodbury 08096

The houses

The census survey's median year built for 08096 is 1965. About 22% of homes date from the 1950s, about 15% predate 1940, and roughly two-thirds predate 1980. About 74% of the roughly fourteen thousand households own their homes, and about 69% of homes are detached.

The fuel

Utility gas heats about 76% of households, electricity about 14% and fuel oil about 7%. Among owners, gas rises to about 83%.

What that means for a call

Mid-century furnaces in mid-century basements. A house from the 1950s or 1960s has typically gone through several furnaces. The current one may be from the 1990s or 2000s, near the end of its run. When it fails, the replacement should be sized from a load calculation, because these houses have usually gained insulation and new windows since the ductwork was laid out.

Heat exchangers and red tags. Older gas furnaces are where cracked heat exchangers turn up, and the utility can shut off and tag an appliance it finds unsafe. See gas shut off and tagged.

Ducts sized for heat, not cooling. Central air added to a house built with a furnace often runs through ducts sized for heating only. Weak airflow upstairs in summer is often the duct system rather than the air conditioner.

Weather

NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Philadelphia International Airport count about 4,510 heating degree days a year. January alone accounts for about a fifth of that load.

Questions people in 08096 ask

The furnace is about twenty-five years old and still works. What should be checked? A combustion test, an inspection of the heat exchanger and flue, and the condition of the blower and controls. If those pass, it can keep running; plan the replacement so it happens on your schedule rather than on the coldest night.

Upstairs is always colder in winter and hotter in summer. That is usually airflow: return air, duct size or leaks. Ask the contractor to measure before recommending bigger equipment.