When your air conditioning or furnace breaks down, it may seem logical and financially feasible to replace only the section that’s non-functional and keep the section that’s working. However, there are many reasons why you might want to consider replacing both units simultaneously.
Take an Accounting of Your Current Systems
Depending on whether you decide to replace both your air conditioning and your furnace, or just one or the other, you should absolutely consult the expertise of a licensed HVAC specialist. If you’re on a tight budget, an experienced HVAC repair tech might be able to make an interim repair to buy you time – time to save more for total replacement, or time to pay other bills down so you can better afford the payments on a financed new system.
If you discover that it doesn’t make financial sense to repair rather than replace, you should take stock of what you have in terms of current equipment, i.e. repair vs. replacement cost. Is the system keeping your home at the desired temps? Are your utility bills run amok because your AC runs all day and night?
One key factor is the age of the unit. Often, central AC units usually need to be replaced after 10 or 15 years, but furnaces often last much longer, even 20 or more years. If your still functional unit is close to its average livespan, the more you should consider replacing it when you replace its non-functioning section.
Match ‘Em Up
Although you may be happy with the functional half of your home’s HVAC system, you’ll probably be able to save a bundle on utility bills by installing new systems with a matched air conditioning and furnace unit.
The air handler is the key – when systems are matched and installed simultaneously, they typically use the same air handler. Mismatched systems may endure more wear and tear and premature ageing than systems designed to work together from the beginning. Don’t forget you’ll get a significant jump in energy efficiency with upgrading to a matched set that uses the latest technology.
You may not receive the maximum energy benefit if you replace only the non-functioning half of the HVAC equipment. An aging air handler can definitely cause issues with efficiency of a new unit.
Built to Spend Their Lives… Together
Installing two systems a few years apart is almost always much more expensive than installing both AC and furnace simultaneously. Warranties often cover more parts and for longer periods when a matched system is installed.
If both parts of your home’s HVAC system are fully functional. Now is the best time to start planning.
Consult with one of our HVAC technicians when you’re getting routine maintenance done to find out the likelihood and estimated life left for your equipment. This will allow you to start saving and planning to have an orderly installation, rather than calling us in the middle of summer when the AC goes out (and we’re traditionally very busy).
Call our office to have one of our experienced HVAC technicians perform a tune-up and check out for your system. He can collect your system specs and one of our estimators can put together a detailed quote for you. Or you can visit our Instant Online Quote page to get your own estimate. The more we know about your system and your home, the more accurate price quote we can provide.
Call (614) 837-4026 or visit our online appointment page to schedule your visit today!
