Does your outdoor unit sound like a helicopter taking off when it starts? Do you feel like you are having to call a service technician to come out every time you turn around to work on your dinosaur of a heat pump? If so, it may be time to start thinking about upgrading your heating and cooling system. Listed below are five signs that an HVAC replacement may be in your near future.
1. Age. Increased age is the most obvious sign that you should start considering an HVAC upgrade. The average lifespan of a heat pump or AC is about 12 years so the closer it gets to that age, the more likely you will start to have more frequent repairs and efficiency problems.
2. More frequent repairs. Are you having to call out a service technician more and more often in the last few years? If so, it may just be time to go ahead and replace the entire system. Even what we consider to be “small repairs” can eventually add up and you could end up spending more money that could be going towards the replacement of your HVAC system.
3. High utility bills. Another sign that your air conditioner may need to be upgraded is rising utility bills. Your system may have to work harder and use more electricity to keep up with the demands of heating and cooling your home. This can be especially noticeable during extreme outdoor temperatures. The minimum efficiency has increased to 14 SEER while older models may be as low as 9 SEER. You can actually save money on your utility bills when you purchase a more efficient heat pump or air conditioner. For example, if your current system is rated as 10 SEER (most units purchased before 2006) to an Energy Star 16 SEER, you can save approximately $1,971 over the lifetime of your unit.
4. Your system is having a hard time keeping up. If your home still feels hot even when you have the AC running on full blast or it seems like your unit is running constantly just to maintain temperature, it may be time to replace your system. Your current HVAC system may not be properly sized or just may not be able to hang like it used to. We can have one of our comfort specialists come out and determine which size and type of system would work best for you and your family.
5. Refrigerant type. Most heat pumps and air conditioners manufactured before 2006 use a type of refrigerant called R-22. This type of refrigerant is slowing being phased out and manufacturers are only producing systems that use the more environmentally friendly refrigerant called R410-A. As a result, the price of R-22 has been increasing significantly over the past few years and will continue to increase until R-22 won’t be produced at all in 2020. Increasing Freon prices also means increasing repair prices and eventually your R-22 using system may not be able to repaired at all. As the cost of R-22 continues to rise, you might find that you are better off replacing your old system with a more efficient R-410A system.
When you start to see a combination of two or more of these telltale signs, the more we would recommend that you lean more towards a system replacement or least start to prepare by researching and getting together the funds you may need to upgrade your HVAC system. You can increase the life span and efficiency of your heat pump or AC by investing in a preventative maintenance plan. Our Energy Savings Club membership starts for as low as $14.99 a month. If you think it may be time for your HVAC system to go into permanent retirement, give Davis Heating and AC a call to schedule for your free estimate with one of our comfort specialists.