Top 5 Reasons to Upgrade Your HVAC System
To put it simply, your HVAC has a limited number of years it will run efficiently, and when it starts to break down you will inevitably pay more in energy costs and maintenance fees. This can lead to more money out of pocket over time then replacing the whole system. You may even be sacrificing air quality and accurate control over your environment by sticking with an older system. If you have had the same HVAC for several years and are thinking about upgrading it may be better to do it sooner, rather than later. We composed this comprehensive guide to help illustrate the best reasons to upgrade your system today.
How Do You Know It’s Time To Upgrade
The best way to tell that you should upgrade really comes down to how much money you are spending on keeping your home cooled. From malfunctioning thermostats to bad air quality, these individual problems all end up costing more money on maintenance, or on energy costs than what you would spend on a new system. Alternatively you can instead turn to manufacturer guidance on the lifetime of your specific system.
Protip: Most HVAC systems last between 10-15 years depending on how well they are being maintained.
5 Reasons to Upgrade Your HVAC System
Let’s look at the factors we mentioned in a bit more depth. Here is our detailed list of reasons on why you should upgrade.
Your System Has Difficulty Maintaining A Constant Temperature
This is the first reason we want to address because it may be the most obvious. As your system ages, it can become harder and harder to keep your home environment at the temperature you want it to be at. This happens because the condenser coils are worn down, the blower fan is slowing but outside of its lifetime being at the end the system may be a bad fit for your home entirely.
Protip: Having a larger system cooling smaller spaces leads to a huge variation in climate. This is less of an issue with older systems and more a product of your home not being fitted with the correctly sized unit.
Repairs Are Frequent and Costly
Next up on our list is another reason that many homeowners should consider upgrading. When your system has consistent issues, monthly or even every few months that is a sign that things are just degraded past complete repair. A fully functioning HVAC system only needs to be serviced every six or so months. HVAC repairs are costly and take up your precious free time to be available for a service company. Rather than spending money every month on repairs you can pay for a new unit that will save you money in the long run.
Your Bills Are Getting Higher
When the seasons change and you find yourself using your system more or less often, how much is the cost fluctuating year over year? Most households tend to have consistent habits when it comes to their heating and cooling settings. Now, this could be because of a faulty thermostat or it could be a sure sign that your system cannot keep up with your needs anymore. Seeing that monthly bill rise means that the HVAC must work harder, for longer to keep the environment in a consistent state. Double check your bills and see if your energy costs have been growing over the last year or so!
Protip: New HVAC systems come with new thermostats!
Is Your Air Quality Good
Some people may not realize it, but your HVAC system plays an important role in the quality of air within your home. It not only filters the air through its system to remove dust and dirt but conditions it by removing moisture as well. When your home feels muggy and heavy even though the HVAC is running it means that your unit isn’t doing it’s job correctly. This may also be the cause of excessive sneezing or seasonal allergies. New systems can also come pre-installed with air purifiers.
The System Is Past Its Recommended Lifetime
Our final reason is a much more situationally based one. Every HVAC unit has a time-sensitive cap on how long it will be in operation. While most systems last for at least 15 years with proper maintenance, if that timeline is coming to its end you can preemptively start shopping around for a replacement. It may even behoove you to start looking into an upgrade before you start running into the problems above.
Key Takeaways Top 5 Reasons to Upgrade Your HVAC System
There are several reasons why you might be looking to upgrade your HVAC system. The system definitely won’t last forever even with a great maintenance plan and when it struggles with keeping your home a comfortable temperature, you start spending an excessive amount of money on your energy bills as well as repairs. Having issues with bad air quality and too much moisture in the air can make your home uncomfortable as well. Sometimes all of these problems can occur at once but when the signs are evident you should definitely look into upgrading your HVAC system.