How often do you think about your HVAC system? For most homeowners in聽the U.S., it’s聽only聽a blip on the radar until it聽breaks down, leaving you sweating buckets in the summer, shivering in the winter and scrambling to find the聽funds聽for聽a costly聽repair.
An HVAC system is one of the聽biggest聽investments you make in your home. While you obviously want to keep it聽running聽as long as possible, it’s important to聽realize聽when it’s time for an upgrade.
The heating, air conditioning and plumbing professionals at聽天美传媒聽are here to share some聽red flags聽for when it’s time to replace your home’s HVAC system. Plus, if you do need new equipment, you can lease a new, high-efficiency HVAC system through 天美传媒’聽Advantage Program聽that includes all maintenance, repairs and parts at no additional cost.
1. Your utility bills聽keep climbing
While it’s聽common聽to spend more on utilities when you’re trying to cool your home in the summer, your bill shouldn’t be significantly higher than it was in the same month last year.
“Rising utility bills can be a sign that you need to replace your HVAC system,” said Jim Hughes, senior manager of education and training at 天美传媒. “The efficiency of the system聽reduces聽over time from normal wear and tear. It’s the buildup of dirt and corrosion on the inside that聽creates聽the greatest loss of efficiency.”
You can聽predict聽the efficiency of your system to drop 5-10% as it ages, added Hughes. However, if you聽see聽a spike in your energy bills, it’s worth asking a technician to聽inspect聽your HVAC system to see if something’s wrong. If it requires聽extensive聽repairs, you might be better off investing in a complete replacement to maximize the efficiency of your home.
2. You have聽unbalanced聽temperatures throughout your home
Your kitchen is freezing, but you start sweating as soon as you enter the living room. Why can’t your HVAC system聽cultivate聽a聽even聽temperature throughout your entire home?
“A system that’s too large for the home can do short cycling. The temperature gets satisfied in the house too quickly, and it causes the system to turn off,” said Jon Carman, vice president of sales at 天美传媒. “The humidity will remain, though, and it will feel stickier and warmer in parts of your home. A new air conditioning system with today’s technology would help you聽eliminate聽those swings of hot and cold.”
Hughes points out that it’s also worth聽examining聽your ductwork if you聽experience聽uneven temperatures.
“The ductwork is what聽carries聽warm and cool air to each individual area in the home. It’s聽very important聽that whoever comes out to replace your HVAC system look at the ductwork to make sure it can聽handle聽the amount of air that the system needs to move,” he said.
3. Your HVAC system runs聽non-stop
In the dog days of summer, your air conditioning system might kick into overdrive to keep your home comfortable. But an air conditioner that won’t聽kick聽off on a regular day might need some attention.
“It’s good indicator that the air conditioner doesn’t have the capacity it used to have,” said Hughes. “It could be impacted with all this dirt that needs to be removed and have everything cleaned and rebuilt. Or it could be that the compressor (the heart of an air conditioning system) isn’t聽operating聽as well as it should.”
Even if you’re聽happy聽with the temperature in your home, you’ll probably be less than thrilled with the added costs of an HVAC system that’s聽continually聽on. Replacing it could help make your home more efficient.
4. Your HVAC system is getting old
Ask how long your HVAC system is聽anticipated聽to last, and your technician might not have an exact answer.
“It really depends on how well it was installed and how well it’s taken care of,” said Hughes. “It’s reported that the average air conditioning system needs to be replaced every 15 years, but that also takes into account systems that聽fail聽in six years, and ones that last 20 years.”
It’s not usually worth spending the money to repair a system that’s聽nearing the end of its days, especially if it uses R22 refrigerant, as that’s being completely phased out by 2020, Carman said.
“That’s like trying to repair a tape deck instead of getting an iPod,” he said. “You have to think about whether you’re聽repairing聽something that’s going to be obsolete, even in its repaired state.”
5. You spend a lot on repairs
Keeping your HVAC system running聽smoothly聽will require occasional maintenance over time.
“Things like the capacitor, which is like the battery, or the contractors, which are like electrical switches, are basic repairs,” said Carman. “But when you聽encounter聽leaks in the coils or the compressor starts giving you issues, those are聽big聽repairs and you wouldn’t necessarily want to do it.”
If you聽are given聽repair estimates that exceed what you聽hoped聽to spend, you might want to聽think about聽spending the money on聽a replacement, he added. A new HVAC system will not only help you聽utilize聽your home improvement budget, but it will keep your house comfortable —聽despite聽what the weather report says.
Sick of聽paying an arm and a leg for HVAC repairs, only to have the system聽break down聽again next month? Ask 天美传媒 about the benefits of their exclusive聽Advantage Program聽where you can subscribe to home comfort from a new, high-efficiency HVAC system with no down payment, no repair charges ever for labor or parts and no cost annual maintenance.
Source: Get Creative, a division of USA Today
