What Factors Affect The Lifespan of Your HVAC Unit?

The HVAC system is one of the main things to be worried about when maintaining your Bay Area home. Routine maintenance is required by every heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system for running properly. This is why you should invest in an experienced and reliable maintenance contractor. These are a few factors that affect the lifespan of an air conditioning unit.

1. Maintenance

Maintenance is the primary factor that will determine the age of your system. If you are not maintaining your system regularly, you are not very likely to attain great results from it. You should put more time, money, and effort in maintaining your system if you want it to last a long time. Importantly, you need to ensure the maintenance is as per schedule to have your system running efficiently.

2. Type

The type of component you have is another thing to consider when figuring out the duration of your system. Majority of components can last anywhere from 15 – 20 years. However, this largely depends on the kind of maintenance you perform. It is likely for the components to start failing within the HVAC system much sooner. There are a lot of different components working together in an HVAC system to make it function efficiently. The type of HVAC system you have will determine the way different components breakdown.

3. Installation

Initial installation is as important as routine maintenance. It plays an important role in determining how long an HVAC system will last. This is one of the reasons why you should invest in professional installation from an experienced and reliable HVAC contractor.

You can avoid common pitfalls by finding a company that has a lot of experience in installing HVAC systems. You can get the best installation for your make and model by identifying the right installation company. This will cause fewer problems down the road and will also ensure that your system runs longer.

4. SEER Rating

Your unit’s SEER rating is another factor that contributes to the life expectancy of your air conditioner. Season Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER is used for measuring the extent of cooling provided by an HVAC unit for every unit of energy consumed. Minimum efficiency requirements for air conditioner were 10 SEER in the past. However, the new air conditioners are designed to operate at 13 SEER or 30% more efficient. Older HVAC units may have SEER rating of 6. This is not taking into account the drop in efficiency over time.

5. R-22 Usage

It is possible that it is time to change your air conditioner if it has already been 10 – 13 years. If your air conditioner is using R-22 refrigerant, that is another sign that it is time to get a new one. R-22 is ozone depleting in nature and has been determined as harmful to nature. You should review your air conditioner and upgrade to a better, more economical, and eco-friendly system.

6. Overall Efficiency

You can check the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating of your furnace for determining the overall efficiency of your system. Your system is outdated if it has a 60 – 70% AFUE. It is probably at the end of its lifespan since current national regulations require an 80% AFUE.