If you keep your present home long enough, eventually you’ll be faced with a decision: should you repair or replace the HVAC system? The combined average life expectancy of heating and cooling equipment is about 15 years. However, a lot depends upon whether the units have received regular preventive maintenance by a qualified HVAC professional, as well as how many daily hours the system has operated. Sooner or later, however, “repair or replace” becomes an issue. Here are some guidelines to help you make the right call:
How Old is the System?
You may not know the system’s age if it was already installed when you bought the home. If you can’t find any warranty info showing purchase dates, contact the manufacturer with model and serial number to get the manufacturing date. A furnace or A/C that is more than 10 years old and requires substantial repairs is usually a better candidate for replacement.
How Much Are Repairs?
A rough guideline is that once the price of repair (or multiple repairs over a short period) equals 40 percent of the cost of upgrading, you’re better off replacing instead of repairing, particularly with an older system. Certain expensive, major components such as the furnace heat exchanger or the air conditioner compressor are frequently deal-breakers, especially when out of warranty. The high cost of these parts almost always makes replacing the entire unit more cost effective than repairing it.
How Efficient is the System?
If you’re paying 2015 energy costs to operate a furnace or air conditioner designed and engineered to 1990s efficiency standards, replacing it can bring substantial savings from day one. For example, new condensing furnaces offer AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) ratings above 90 and significantly lower operating costs than your existing furnace. While an air conditioner manufactured before 2005 came with a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency rating) of only 10, new air conditioners offer standard SEER 13 ratings, while high-efficiency A/C delivers SEER efficiency of 18 or above.
For advice about making the decision to repair or replace your HVAC system, contact the professionals at Ace Hardware Home Services.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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