If you’re not staying warm in winter or cool in summer, you may be wondering if it is time to repair or replace your heating or air conditioning unit. There are many good reasons for either repairing or replacing your furnace or air conditioning if you’re having trouble. Here is what ENERGY STAR and the government have to say about replacing your HVAC or whether you need to have it repaired.
Is Your HVAC System Too Old?
One of the things to keep in mind is that after a certain amount of time, you’re throwing away money on inefficient systems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends through their ENERGY STAR program that the following need to be replaced:
- Air conditioners more than 10 years old
- Heat pumps more than 10 years old
- Furnace is more than 15 years old
- Boiler is more than 15 years old
- Any system that does not have a programmable thermostat
Replacing your less efficient system not only saves energy, but saves you money. You can see up to 20 percent yearly in savings on your bills by changing to a more efficient unit.
Are Some Rooms Too Cold While Others Too Hot?
This can be caused by improperly insulated heating and air conditioning ducts. You can have as much as a 30 percent loss due to cracks and leaks in your ducts. Having an HVAC technician check your ducts and properly insulate them is one way to improve your HVAC’s efficiency.
If your problem isn’t the ducts, then consider that your system might be the culprit and isn’t operating at peak performance. One of our technicians at Service First Air Conditioning and Heating can look at your system and see if it is better to repair or replace your current system.
Your Heating and Cooling Bills are Increasing and Your Equipment is Constantly Breaking Down
If your energy bills are skyrocketing, you aren’t as comfortable as you used to be, and your heating or cooling unit is constantly breaking down, it may be time to kick those units to the curb and get more energy efficient ones. Angie’s List has a great rule of thumb when it comes to determining if you should repair or replace your HVAC: multiply the age of the unit with the price of the repair. If that number is more than $5000, you should replace your HVAC rather than repair it.
Is Your Home Too Humid, Too Dusty, or Too Dry?
Improperly working units may cause any of these problems. Contact us and we can determine if your HVAC needs a simple repair or replacement.
Your HVAC is Noisy
You could have an undersized system or there could be another problem causing it to make noise.
You can help prevent costly repairs by scheduling annual HVAC maintenance. Contact us today at Service First Air Conditioning and Heating and we’ll make sure your heating and air conditioning is running right.