Several Factors Determine HVAC System Longevity

With any modern heating and cooling system, it’s essential to have an approximate idea of how long the system can be expected to operate effectively and efficiently. A closely related bit of knowledge is what you can do as a homeowner to make your HVAC system operate as effectively as possible, as long as possible.

While the type of heating or cooling system, and whether it was correctly selected, sized and installed in your home, obviously play key roles in system longevity, your own maintenance of the equipment also is important.

A new air conditioner or heat pump system these days typically can be expected to last 12 years more or less, while a combustion furnace or boiler may have a life span of 15-20 years. Of course, there are outliers in HVAC system longevity, though it’s safe to say that once your system reaches the outer reaches of those estimated service lives, system efficiency and performance will decline. Plus, of course, as the years pass, a system that was state of the art at the time of purchase can no longer boast that that’s the case.

Factors That Impact HVAC System Longevity

Maintenance: If your HVAC system doesn’t receive routine seasonable maintenance, plus basic homeowner care, it may start malfunctioning earlier and more often than it might have otherwise. A lack of maintenance also may result in issues that are less easy to discern, such as a gradual diminution in energy efficiency. And more to the point of this article, any system that doesn’t get regular maintenance will have little chance of lasting its full estimated service life. Consider signing up with a maintenance “club” with your preferred Cincinnati HVAC company, which provides discounts, reminders of recommended maintenance, and other benefits.

Amount of usage. HVAC equipment is like other types of machinery in one important respect: The more it’s used, the shorter its service life. Conversely, the less it’s used, the longer it can be expected to last. To understand how this works, just think of your family car. If you have two cars of the same type and age, the one that only has 40,000 miles on its odometer will be in better shape and last longer than the one that has 100,000 miles. With cooling and heating systems, climate is the most important factor related to amount of usage. A cooling system operating a few months a year in a northern climate probably will last much longer than the same system operating most of the year in Texas or Florida. (An important caveat of this is that a system that NEVER gets used probably will need maintenance when it finally starts up.)

Your own choice: As mentioned earlier, it’s a fact of life that machinery, including HVAC systems, will lose some of its efficiency and effectiveness over time. It’s also true that in the heating and cooling industry, technological advancements occur at such a fast pace that a system that was state of the art when you bought it will be considered almost obsolete in 10 or 15 years. At some point, if an old AC, heat pump or furnace is cooling or heating your home, you may come to the decision that you need an upgrade in both efficiency (for saving energy and money) and performance (for better home comfort).

How Often Should You Schedule Maintenance?

As for how often to schedule maintenance on your HVAC system, most experts recommend twice a year, once for your cooling system and once for your heating system. This applies whether you use the same system for both heating and cooling (heat pump) or different systems (an AC and furnace). If you join a maintenance club with your chosen Cincinnati HVAC company, they’ll make sure to schedule seasonal maintenance on both your cooling system and heating system. Your primary homeowner maintenance task involves checking the air filter for your forced-air system once a month, and replacing the filter when it appears clogged or dirty. Another important but simple DIY maintenance task is making sure that vents and registers are clean and free of obstruction, such as curtains, rugs, boxes or furniture.