The Average Life of a HVAC System in Your Home

Nothing lasts forever – and that includes even the best HVAC equipment on the market today. As time goes by, wear and tear gradually takes place inside your HVAC system as it works to heat or cool your Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex home. So, what is the average life of a HVAC system in your home? Let’s take a look at that topic in the article below. 

 

If you have reached the point of needing to have a new HVAC system installed, or if you would like to have your current system serviced in an effort to get the longest possible life out of the equipment, contacting Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric, is the best place to start. Our team is ready to serve you so contact us today for more information. 

 

Average Life of a HVAC System

The lifespan that you can expect to get from a piece of HVAC equipment will depend on what type of equipment you are talking about and how it is used. First, for a general range, you can look for a standard air conditioner to last at least 10 years, and perhaps as many as 20. The same goes for a heat pump. When talking about the heating side of the equation – with a furnace or a boiler – you should see a slightly longer life, with somewhere around 15 to just over 20 years. 

 

Of course, this is the point where we have to mention there are no guarantees that any specific unit will last this long, as they are just average ranges. You could have an air conditioner sail past the 20-year mark and keep going strong, or you could have one not even make it to 10. However, it’s still useful to have a general idea of how long you can expect this type of equipment to last, so you know when to start thinking about the possibility of replacing it in the coming years. For example, if you buy a home that is 15-years-old and has the original HVAC system in place, you should know that significant repairs or equipment replacement will be on the agenda in the near future. 

 

Getting a Longer Life from Your System

Doing what you can to get the longest possible life out of your HVAC system only makes sense. After all, if you can extend the life of the system, you’ll save money with each passing year that you don’t have to pay for new gear. What can you do to work toward that outcome? It’s actually quite simple –

 

• Keep changing the filter. This is the easiest and most important maintenance point for your HVAC system. Get on a regular schedule of swapping out your air filter and keep an eye on it between changes to make sure it’s not getting too clogged up. As you would guess, the filter is going to get dirtier during particularly hot or cold times of the year when the system is running more frequently, so installing a new filter more often during summer and winter is a good strategy. 
• Have regular maintenance performed. Working with Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric on consistent service visits is another key piece of this puzzle. If you have an experienced, professional team come in and give the various components of your system the attention they need, you’ll be in a much better position as the years add up. 
• Use the system conservatively. Running your system hard is going to accelerate the wear and tear on the equipment and you’ll inevitably need to buy new gear sooner. For example, if you are trying to cool your home down to the mid-60s during a stretch of 100*+ Texas heat, you’ll be asking your system to work extremely hard. By asking less of your system day after day, the equipment will be able to give you a longer lifespan. 

 

Watching for Signs of Trouble

Along the way, watch for signs of trouble. For one thing, increasing energy bills in your home point to a system that is not working as efficiently as it once did. Also, if you notice that some parts of your home aren’t getting heated or cooled properly anymore, that’s another sign that your current equipment is no longer up to the task. 

 

Modern HVAC systems are quite durable, but there will come a point when replacing your gear is the best choice you can make. For help figuring out when that time has come, turn to the professionals at Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric for guidance. You can trust our team to deal with you honestly and provide a fair assessment of the situation after your system has been inspected. Schedule your appointment today and we will be proud to serve you!