If you know how long your home’s cooling and heating systems should last before replacement is necessary, you’ll be better prepared when that time comes. Moreover, following a recommended HVAC maintenance timeline will help your equipment last as long as possible before an upgrade is needed.
The useful service life of HVAC equipment varies widely, though generally, you can expect an air conditioner or heat pump to last between 10-15 years. A combustion furnace should last from 15-20 years. It’s not unheard of, however, for HVAC systems to give up the ghost earlier than these ranges, or keep chugging away long after they should be junk.
Two main factors play into HVAC equipment longevity — usage and maintenance.
Usage
Cooling or heating equipment that is operating for much of the year likely will run out of steam long before equipment that only operates a few months each year. Climate, of course, is the key factor affecting usage. Here in southwest Ohio, with both cold winters and hot summers, both halves of your HVAC system get a pretty good workout. However, your heating system likely will last longer than a similar system operating in Michigan or Ontario, where the winters last much longer. Likewise, your A/C should last longer than an air conditioner operating in the heat of Florida or Texas.
Maintenance
Maintenance influences longevity for obvious reasons. Machinery that’s tuned up and maintained on an annual HVAC maintenance timeline will last longer than equipment that’s seldom maintained. This applies to both professional maintenance and do-it-yourself maintenance, tasks such as changing the air filter and spraying off the outside A/C unit.
Most HVAC experts recommend annual maintenance for cooling and heating systems (this means once a year for each, if you have a furnace for heating and A/C for cooling). If you have a heat pump, twice-yearly maintenance is a good idea, once before the heating season and another before summer.
If you haven’t had your HVAC system maintained lately, there’s no time like the present. Contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. We provide quality service to the Dayton-Springfield area.
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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