With adequate maintenance, a heating and air system will normally last about fifteen years. After that, the unit will wind up being less effective, both because of wear and tear and due to the fact that the technology becomes outdated. Some systems start with a shorter life-span, closer to ten years. Another thing to consider is repair and maintenance. If your system has not had standard service or has been repaired continuously, that can shorten the working years down closer to five.
Other variables that come into play when going over how long your heating and cooling system will last consist of everyday use, installation and size of the unit. If the system is used heavily on a daily basis, is not the appropriate size for your home or company or has not been installed correctly, that too, can cause the system to be replaced in far less than fifteen years.
Heating and Cooling Performance
There are a couple of primary factors that your A/C efficiency ought to matter to you. The first factor is that the less effective your A/C system is, the more money you will pay out in energy expenses. The second factor is that the more efficient that your A/C system is, the cooler it will manage to keep your home. When your air conditioning is still running and cooling, but not well enough, it is typically since your heating & cooling system is no longer as reliable as it really should be.
Aspects that Affect A/C Performance
After ten to fifteen years the regular wear and tear on the system will start to stop working causing it to be less effective. If it has actually not been serviced expertly two times a year (as early as for heating season, as quickly as for cooling season) then the efficiency can drop as quickly as just a season or two.
Additions to a home or a modification in usage can suggest that a system that was once the correct size for your home is no longer adequate. This will create the existing system to be far less efficient than it one time was. Naturally if the system was the incorrect size when it was installed or was installed improperly, not only will it cause the heating and cooling to be less efficient it will substantially reduce the life-span as well.
The Cost of an Out-of-date Cooling And Heating System
Not only will an older A/C unit cost you money by being less efficient, however it will also cost more to repair if it must take place to break down.
heating and cooling systems that are more than ten years old are often cooling utilizing an R-22 refrigerant. The refrigerant is no longer produced and as an industry standard is no longer used in the new a/c system.
While there is definitely nothing wrong with still using your heating and cooling if it utilizes an R-22 refrigerant, it will be quite pricey to fix should it happen to break down. In this situation, you might be required to think about purchasing a newer model.
Is It Time to Upgrade My A/C Unit?
It can be a difficult choice to upgrade your existing A/C system, but if you end up needing to make pricey repairs season after season, the decision may be well worth it. A new system can even help to pay for itself in the long run by decreasing your month-to-month or annual energy costs.