Replacing air conditioners and furnaces are both significant projects for your home. Each unit alone has a high initial cost of at least several thousand dollars. Together, they represent a major renovation! Should homeowners look into replacing them both at the same time, or focus instead on replacing one at a time as necessary?
The right answer depends on the particular situation for your home and finances. However, replacing both units at the same time can be a cost-effective move or a good plan for the future. Here are several key scenarios in which getting a new air conditioner and furnace at the same time may be the right choice.
Your Furnace is Particularly Old
Furnaces can last up to twice as long as air conditioners with the right care. However, they start showing their age after around 15 years. If you haven’t replaced your furnace or your AC unit for more than 15 years, then they may both need to be replaced badly. Contact a professional for more specifics on how well your furnace is holding up, and if your systems are the right age to be replaced. If in the past, you have alternated replacing your furnace and then your AC, it may not be efficient to replace them both at the same time now.
You Are Preparing for Retirement
If you are retiring in the near future, you may want to consider replacing both units now. During retirement, you may be a fixed income that can make sudden replacements difficult to take care of. This may mean it’s a good idea to get any replacements done now when your income situation is more flexible.
You’re Considering a Big Efficiency Upgrade
If you are contemplating, say, a new furnace with a SEER efficiency rating of 5 to 7 more than your current furnace, that’s a big upgrade that can save a lot on ongoing energy costs. In this case, you may want to consider replacing your AC unit (or vice-versa), so they match. Have one very high-efficiency unit and one older, low-efficiency unit in the same system doesn’t always work very well.
Other Parts of Your HVAC System Need to Be Replaced Too
This is more common in particularly old HVAC systems or when there are other major house renovations being done (adding new rooms, etc.). In these cases, the ductwork, drainage, and other components of the HVAC system may also need to be replaced because of age or other issues. In these cases, it may be advantageous to consider replacing both the air conditioner and furnace units to make sure everything is compatible and working together problem, with no attachment issues or airflow inefficiencies. This is an important consideration for any big remodel project.
Do you have more specific questions about your AC unit or furnace? Do you want quotes for one or both replacements? Contact Action Heating and Air today, and we’ll be happy to help! Let us know what you want for your HVAC system.