When Should I Replace My Furnace?

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the typical furnace should last 15 to 20 years before needing replacement. Air conditioners endure more punishment and should only be expected to last 10 to 15 years, per the NAHB. Those are national figures, of course. Equipment installed in Southern California should last somewhat longer. Despite last summer’s triple-digit weather and this winter’s frost-warning freezes, our local climate is still much more moderate than what’s typical across the rest of the nation, so our HVAC equipment doesn’t have to work as hard and thus tends to endure better.

There are reasons to consider replacing equipment before it reaches the end of its useful life. While an older unit may still be functional, that doesn’t mean it’s still efficient or reliable. As systems age, they lose efficiency, and their reliability tends to fall off as well. Meanwhile, energy regulations have gotten stricter, meaning new equipment is more efficient out-of-the-box. New air conditioners can use 30% to 40% less electricity than models that just came out 10 years ago. That becomes more and more important as local electric rates go higher and higher.

One key variable in deciding “repair vs. replace” is how much longer you plan on staying in your home. If you plan on relocating in the next five years, it might be best to just get as much as you can out of what you have, so repair the old condenser instead of replacing it. But if your plan is to remain for ten or twenty years more, the energy cost of keeping the old unit may argue strongly in favor of switching to a newer design that will cost less to run.

As always, the best solution is to talk to a Comfort Care expert like the ones we have at Air-Tro. Call us today at (626) 357-3535 for a free consultation on replacing your system.

Source on typical equipment years of service: https://bestlifeonline.com/how-long-appliances-last/

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