As a homeowner, you will have to replace your air conditioner and furnace every 20 years or so. However, the dates for which you need to replace these units may not line up, and you will need to decide if you should replace each unit one at a time or both at the same time. There are a lot of factors that go into this decision, the biggest being your budget and how often you use each unit throughout the year.
The best situation to replace both your air conditioner and furnace at the same time is if you use both around the same amount of time throughout the year and if you are looking to rent each unit as reliable HVAC rental companies usually provide a discount for bundling their units. In this article, we will go through the benefits of replacing your HVAC units at the same time, even if one of them is still in a workable condition.
HVAC Units in 2020
If you are looking to replace your furnace or air conditioner this year, your old units were most likely bought around the year 2000. Since then, the technology and the parts used to make these units has changed for the better. These units are now more energy-efficient and will last longer if you provide them with proper maintenance.
The one “downfall” with the way HVAC units are built today is that there are an overwhelming amount of options to choose from. If you are not familiar with the inner workings of a furnace or air conditioner, you may end up choosing the wrong unit for your home. In the next section of this article, we will go through common mistakes people make when they buy their HVAC units so you don’t have to make the same mistakes.
Common HVAC Mistakes You Need To Avoid
The biggest mistake that homeowners make when they are buying their HVAC units is that they don’t take the size into consideration. A lot of people end up buying units that are too big for their home. Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to furnaces and air conditioners because if you buy a unit that is oversized for your home, it could cause short cycling, making your unit work overtime, which affects its lifespan and its efficiency.
To avoid this mistake, it’s important to call a reliable HVAC contractor to measure your space. They will need to do a whole inspection of your home to check the following elements:
- The square footage of your home
- Measuring the insulation in the crawl spaces, floors, ceilings, and wall, plush check the type of insulation that is used
- The number of storm windows you have
- The seal of your doors and windows
Another mistake that people make is that they don’t buy the yearly maintenance plan. Paying a yearly amount for a service person to inspect your units is a great idea because the cost of the plan is a lot less expensive than if you don’t have a plan and a component of your unit breaks, meaning you are on the hook to pay for a full repair.
Determine If You Actually Need To Replace Your Units
If your current HVAC system hasn’t been inspected by a professional technician in a while or you don’t have a yearly maintenance plan and you experience a breakdown, you may think that the only option is to replace the unit. However, a repair may be viable, depending on what the issue turns out to be.
If your furnace or air conditioner isn’t working as efficiently as it used to, there are a few things to look out for to determine if repairing or replacing is the better option. This includes the age of the unit, the amount of money it will take to repair, the entire system’s performance, and the technology that was used to make the unit.
If the cost of repair is more than the cost of a replacement or if the unit is around 20 years old, then getting a new furnace or air conditioner is the better option.
Upgrade Your Units For a More Energy Efficient HVAC System
Furnaces and air conditioners are more energy efficient today than they were 15-20 years ago. To confirm that your new units will be more efficient than your current ones, you can check their seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The majority of new air conditioners will have a SEER number of 13 or more, so if your old units have a lower number, you will save more money by upgrading your system.
Furnaces use a different system called annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). If the AFUE is 90% or higher, you will be getting a very energy efficient furnace. The AFUE rating may not be evident when you are researching a new furnace, but you should be able to ask your HVAC provider about what types of furnaces they offer and their respective AFUE ratings.
Advantages of Replacing Your Air Conditioner and Furnace At The Same Time
It is highly recommended that you replace both your furnace and air conditioner at the same time, even if one is still working because these systems work in tandem and you need matched technology to efficiently provide your family with comfort throughout the year. Mixing an old furnace with a new air conditioner will put more strain on your furnace, which will cancel out the energy efficiency of your new air conditioner.
To save the most money and to have the most efficient system, you should seriously consider replacing your HVAC units at the same time.
Author’s Bio
Colin Hegarty is a content writer for BreezeMaxWeb that helps businesses showcase their brand through enticing copy. When he’s not working, you can find him playing net in a local beer league or biking around the city.