HOW LONG WILL MY SYSTEM
LAST?
This is a really common
question, along with “When will I know when it’s time to replace it?”
I read once that the average
life expectancy of a furnace is 21 years, and is 11 years for an A/C
system. But these statistics were from
a national study. This will obviously be
a climate based scenario.
There are numerous issues
involved, like how often it gets serviced, what the thermostat setting
preference is, how often the air filter gets changed, what kind of filters are
used, rental property, etc.
I repaired a 1939 furnace
this winter (70 years old). (The
furnace, not me). It was the first time
I’d ever laid eyes on it. And I spent
some extra time inspecting it before deciding whether it was worth
repairing. Admittedly, I had some big
reservations about how this was going to turn out as soon as I saw it. But to my amazement, it was rock solid. This was a rental property, and the landlord
wasn’t about to have it replaced unless I pronounced it dead and gone. But it wasn’t. And I saw no signs that it would meet its demise very soon. So you can’t judge a book by looking at the
cover. It began to occur to me that if
someone had replaced the furnace in that house every 21 years, this one would
have been gone in 1960, the next one in 1981, the next one in 2002. So I’d be looking at the fourth
furnace. That’s something to think
about.
But the flip side of the
coin is that I’ve given the last rites to a lot of very young systems. Usually these were systems that were
improperly installed and/or maintained.
But freak things can happen that are sometimes beyond your control,
especially with air conditioners. Power
surges during a storm can totally destroy them in a heartbeat. And one minor problem can cause a more
serious one that seals the fate of the system.
So it’s not unlike us as
humans. You can’t ignore “the
odds”. They must be factored into any
estimates you make.
But the most important
factor by far is the present condition of the equipment.
So I often get asked the
question “Will it get me through this year?”.
Let’s think about that. Obviously each year the system is around, it
statistically has less years of its lifespan left. Let’s say that the system has already met
and surpassed the “average life expectancy”.
This is not totally unlike an elderly patient asking the doctor if
they’ll be seeing them again for the next annual checkup if you go by statistics
alone and don’t factor in the present condition of the patient.
The only honest answer a
good technician can give is that it’s impossible to predict with any degree of
accuracy.
But I can say with little
reservation that the systems being made today won’t last as long as the old
ones did. The constant push for higher
efficiency comes with a price. And
system longevity just isn’t factored in.
It doesn’t fit in that equation, nor does the push to keep the equipment
prices down either. Older equipment –
furnaces and A/C units are much more tolerant to adverse conditions than the
newer counterparts. That’s why so many
really old ones are still out there.
The newer equipment must be properly installed and maintained
or they will achieve much less reliability, longevity and energy
efficiency.
Most folks are surprised to learn
that the average new furnace is only rated to be 13%-15% more energy efficient
than their older existing furnace. And
in many cases, it’s the same efficiency (78%-80% efficient). So why buy a new one unless you have to? Each additional year you get out of it would
be another year into the shorter lifespan of a new furnace if you
replace it now and don’t need to.
Regular maintenance
performed by a conscientious, experienced technician (not
a trainee hired to merely do maintenance) can make your old system operate more
efficiency, reliably and last a lot longer than you can imagine.
Fairway,
KS
Lake
Quivira, KS
Leawood,
KS
Lenexa,
KS
Merriam,
KS
Mission,
KS
Mission
Hills, KS
Mission
Woods, KS
Olathe,
KS
Overland
Park, KS
Prairie
Village, KS
Roeland
Park, KS
Shawnee,
KS
Spring
Hill, KS
Stanley,
KS
Stilwell,
KS
Westwood,
KS
Westwood Hills, KS
Copyright
2010 Leonard Arenson Heating & A/C