A heating, ventilation and air conditioner (HVAC) system provides comfortable temperatures and quality air for your home. A brand-new HVAC system will treat your family’s allergies and respiratory illnesses and give you a place to unwind after a long day at work. As your unit gets older, you need to start thinking about when to replace it.
If you’re having issues with your HVAC system, call a professional in the HVAC industry who will assess your need for a replacement. While an HVAC system can survive for a couple of decades, you might want to replace your old HVAC system for any of these reasons:
- To have a more reliable HVAC system
- To save money on HVAC maintenance costs
- To provide a comfortable temperature for your home
- To save money on HVAC energy costs
- To have a quieter system
- To have better air quality in your living space
Replacing your old HVAC system will provide you with more peace of mind in your home. Here are some tips for when to replace your HVAC.
How Often to Replace an HVAC System
The average lifespan of an HVAC system is between 15 and 20 years. At around 10 years old, the HVAC system may start to show signs of decline. If your repair costs are increasing, it might be more cost-effective to replace your HVAC system. Since a new HVAC system could be costly, before you decide to replace an old HVAC system, schedule an appointment with an HVAC specialist to discuss costs and explore financing options if needed.
A professional HVAC specialist will walk through your home, noting the energy efficiency of the old HVAC unit. They will check for air leaks and cracks in your system to determine which parts to replace. They may also recommend insulation for your attic to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
1. To Have a More Reliable HVAC System
After 10 years, an HVAC system can become less reliable. The installation date may be written on the face of your old HVAC unit. If the date isn’t labeled on your HVAC system, you can call the manufacturer to determine the age of the unit.
Often, your HVAC system lasts well over 10 years. Consider these factors to determine whether to revive your old HVAC system or replace it.
- Excessive use: The more you use the HVAC system, the more it will expend energy and wear down its parts. If you spent a summer away on vacation, your HVAC system would have a break for several months. If you keep your air conditioning cranking all summer in the California heat, your AC unit will be working hard all summer to provide a cooler temperature for your home. You should replace your HVAC system if you’ve used it continuously throughout the years.
- Energy efficiency: Updating your system will also allow you to take advantage of the new technology that’s available to comply with government standards. For example, the federal government is transitioning out of using Freon as a refrigerant because R410A is more energy-efficient. Since Freon is less in supply, if your older machine uses Freon as a refrigerant, you will have to pay more money.
If your HVAC unit is more than 10 years old, call our professional team at Atticare. We specialize in heating and cooling services to provide your home with the best temperature all year long.
If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, New York/New Jersey area or Los Angeles area, we will inspect your current HVAC unit and give you an estimate for one of our new energy-efficient units. You may be surprised at how much money you can save in heating and cooling costs, as well as improved air quality.
2. To Save Money on HVAC Maintenance Costs
HVAC systems older than 10 years often start to require more repairs. Over time, repair costs could add up to well over the value of your HVAC system. The best time to replace an HVAC is before you have a major breakdown.
You can prolong the life of your HVAC unit by changing out the air filters often, cleaning out the AC units and scheduling a routine maintenance as needed. Here are the ways you can save money by replacing your entire HVAC system instead of trying to revive certain parts of your current unit:
- Repair costs: If you are paying more than 50% of the cost of replacement during a repair, you should consider replacing the HVAC system as a better investment of your money. If you’re requesting repairs at least once a month, you should replace your HVAC system. If parts such as a compressor, heat exchanger or motor start to decline, they could be costly to replace. You’re also charged a labor fee every time an HVAC specialist has to come and fix your unit. You should replace the whole HVAC system before it has a major breakdown and you have to use emergency money to fix the unit. Some emergency issues include electrical shortages and electrical fires.
- Maintenance: At most, a functional HVAC system should only require maintenance twice a year. If you have to call the HVAC technician more often than that, you should consider replacing your unit. A new machine will offset the cost of maintenance and will save you time scheduling new appointments. Newer models only need to be inspected once a year.
To save even more money, consider purchasing your new HVAC system from Atticare. Use our Competitor Quote Comparison Tool to figure out how much money you’ll be saving by choosing us as your provider. We offer a better price and a better service for your replacement HVAC unit in the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay area and the New York/New Jersey area.
3. To Provide a Comfortable Temperature for Your Home
The goal of an HVAC system is to provide warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. You need an efficient unit that can keep up with the extreme temperatures of the summer and winter. A newer HVAC system will heat and cool your home more efficiently than an older unit.
You would know when it’s time to replace your old HVAC unit if one room is significantly warmer or cooler than the rest of the home. You may also feel a general discomfort throughout your home. An older HVAC system may express difficulty reaching the set temperature on the thermostat.
An old HVAC system could have more wrong with it than simply old age. Older HVAC systems tend to struggle to maintain a consistent temperature in your home because of these factors:
- A faulty thermostat: Try reprogramming your thermostat if one level of the home is warmer or cooler than the other.
- A thermostat sent to the wrong temperature: Inspect your thermostat to ensure that it’s set to the right setting. You may have accidentally put the HEAT setting on in the summer or the COOL setting on in the winter.
- Clogged air filters: You should replace your air filters at least once every three months.
- Refrigerant leaks: Check your HVAC unit for ice or cracks. You only need to refill refrigerant if there is a leak.
- Cracked air ducts: Check the ducts and vents throughout the home. Any cracked air ducts need to be replaced.
- Motor damage: If the AC unit makes excessive noise, the motor may need to be replaced.
- Improper installation: An HVAC specialist can check the installation of your HVAC unit to make sure it’s functioning properly.
If you find yourself piling on blankets while sitting on the couch in the winter, or you have to open a window in the summer, you could have a dysfunctional unit. Your unit may also be the wrong size for your living space.
With more insulation, your HVAC system will have to spend less energy regulating the temperature of your living space. At Atticare, we provide energy-efficient insulation that keeps cool air in and warm air out. Check out our insulation services in the New Jersey/New York area, the San Francisco Bay area and the Los Angeles area.
4. To Save Money on HVAC Energy Costs
One of the benefits of a new HVAC system is that you will save money on energy costs. Your heating and cooling costs account for half of your energy bill. You could reduce air conditioning energy use by 20 to 50% when you switch out your old HVAC unit for a new, energy-efficient system.
An HVAC system costs you money in energy bills and repair costs. Replacing your HVAC system could offset the costs that accrue over time based on these factors:
- A constantly running unit: If it seems like your HVAC system is constantly running, it’s time to replace your unit. An overworked air conditioning unit uses more energy, adding up money on your energy bill.
- A faulty thermostat: You could invest in a programmable thermostat that you could use to schedule your HVAC to turn on or off during certain times of the day. For example, when you’re not home, you can program it off until you’re expected to arrive back home. You could also connect your thermostat to your phone to program the temperature from anywhere in the world. Save up to 10% on your energy bill by adjusting your thermostat 7 to 8 degrees from the normal setting for 8 hours a day.
- An outdated unit: When you routinely inspect your HVAC unit and change out the air filters, you could reduce the unit’s energy consumption by 5 to 15%. A newer unit could also help you save an additional 15% in energy consumption.
Along with sufficient attic insulation, our HVAC units at Atticare will help you save money in energy costs. We also strive to use fewer carbon emissions to produce our products. Use our savings calculator to find out how much money you could save over time in your house with new insulation and a new HVAC system.
5. To Have a Quieter HVAC System
An old HVAC system could make loud, unsettling noises when it’s running. The HVAC specialist can help you determine if you need to replace the whole HVAC system or if you simply need to replace a faulty part.
Where the HVAC unit and ducts are installed can also affect the amount of noise the system makes. If you have ducts installed in a narrow hallway, any sound coming from the ducts can reverberate off the walls and echo throughout the house. Depending on the noise, the issue may be minor, but it could also be a cause for you to replace your HVAC system.
- Squealing or grinding: If you hear this sound, that means you need to replace your HVAC system. A squealing sound means that the belt connected to the motor of the blower or your condenser’s fan motor is working too hard. If you hear a squealing sound coming from your old HVAC unit, you might have to replace the belt. If you have a newer HVAC system, the squealing sound could be the condenser’s fan. In that case, you would need to replace the motor.
- Buzzing: A buzzing sound could indicate that the unit has loose parts, a refrigerant leak or a broken compressor. The parts of the HVAC unit all work together to provide a comfortable temperature for your living space. If any of the parts are loose, the rest of the system has to work harder to produce warm or cool air. Refrigerant leaks can actually freeze the unit and cause a buzzing noise. A broken compressor that makes a buzzing noise is either malfunctioning or indicative of an electrical shortage.
- Popping: If you hear a loud popping sound coming from the ducts, you may be hearing warm air traveling through the ducts. When the ducts are warm, the material expands and makes a popping noise.
The popping sound due to ductwork issues could be fixed by cleaning and insulating the ducts. If you hear any sounds coming from the ductwork, schedule an appointment with an HVAC specialist. Our team at Atticare can replace the air ducts in your home in the Los Angeles area, the New York/New Jersey area or the San Francisco Bay area.
6. To Have Better Air Quality in Your Living Space
An HVAC system is more than a heating and air conditioning unit. It also provides ventilation for the home. When you have an effective HVAC system, your air is free from:
- Dust: If you notice dust accumulating through your home, there may be a problem with the ventilation system of the HVAC. The HVAC system plays a role in providing clean air for you and your family to breathe. Newer HVAC units are equipped to clean the air of pet dander, airborne allergens, dust and other forms of debris. This feature is especially beneficial for the people in your home who suffer from allergies and respiratory illnesses.
- Humidity: A newer, energy-efficient AC unit could reduce the humidity in your home. Excess humidity in the air prevents our bodies from cooling down by sweating. One of the ways an AC unit helps regulate the temperature is by reducing the amount of moisture in the air.
- Odd smells: If you smell a burning odor in the heating unit, it’s most likely dust accumulation burning off the furnace. An odd smell could also be a more serious issue, such as mold or mildew buildup or a potential electrical fire. If you smell an odd odor in your home, schedule an inspection with an HVAC specialist. You may need to replace the HVAC system if the odd smell is related to a faulty part of the HVAC unit.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning: An older HVAC unit puts you and your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Older furnaces are more likely to have cracks in their heat exchangers, which could leak carbon monoxide into the air. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so make sure you have a functioning carbon monoxide detector to protect your home from a potential leak. Since carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal, you should schedule an appointment with an HVAC specialist to inspect an older HVAC unit properly.
Newer HVAC systems are better for the environment. In the 20th century, HVAC units used CFCs as their refrigerant. Since we’ve discovered that CFCs deplete the ozone layer, HVAC manufacturers now use HCFCs as a safer alternative. As more eco-friendly refrigerant becomes available, the newer HVAC systems will have parts that are better for the environment.
If you want to improve the air quality of your home, consider investing in one of Atticare’s QuietCool Whole House Fan. Our fans were created to help cool and ventilate your whole house by bringing cool air in from the outside and blowing out allergens, mold and mildew from the air. QuietCool fans will help lower your HVAC costs by 50-90% by improving the air quality of your home.
Trust Atticare to Replace Your Old HVAC System
When you need to replace your old HVAC system, reach out to the professionals at Atticare. We specialize in temperature regulation in your home, starting from the roof and trickling down to the attic and beyond. Lower your energy costs and reduce your maintenance repairs with a new HVAC system. Our energy-efficient HVAC units will help you have a comfortable temperature all year long. If you live in the New York/New Jersey area, the San Francisco Bay area or the Los Angeles area, we’ll help you figure out whether you need to replace your old HVAC system. Contact us today by filling out a contact form or calling 1-866-692-5449.
