Your home’s heating and cooling units form a complex system and share critical components. These critical components are your furnace and air conditioner. They often use the same blower to force conditioned air throughout your home. If you’re thinking about replacing your air conditioner, should you also be replacing your furnace at the same time?
Your heating and cooling equipment work together to form an HVAC system. Your furnace, air handler or blower, and evaporator coil are located inside your home, and they’re connected to your ductwork. Air conditioning units sit outside your home. ENERGY STAR, the American National Standard Institute (ANSI), and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) recommend that the air conditioner, coil, and furnace be replaced together in order to meet their installation guidelines. Not doing this can have serious implications on the performance and efficiency of your entire HVAC system, and you may encounter the following issues:
- A decreased life span of your system – When components are improperly matched, the efficiency and longevity of these systems are significantly compromised. With matched equipment, you’ll get the best possible system performance without additional stress on any one component of the system.
- Lower system efficiency – Would you put used tires on a brand-new car? Of course not, because it would prevent your car from running as smoothly as possible. The same is true for your furnace and air conditioner. Even if your new outdoor unit is 18 SEER, the old indoor section (probably intended for an 8-10 SEER unit) could cause the system to lag behind, keeping your energy bills higher than they should be.
- Premature breakdowns – An old air handler may not be as capable of moving the required volume of air as a new one. This creates undue stress on the other components of your air conditioner and forces them to work harder, resulting in unnecessary, premature breakdowns.
- Increased installation costs – Replacing the air conditioning unit, waiting a few years, and then having another contractor come out to install the furnace unit means paying for two separate installations instead of one. Replacing your furnace and air conditioner at the same time will cut down on overall installation costs for both systems.
Obviously, if your air conditioner just stopped working, you’re facing some quick and tough decisions. Take a moment to think, then respond rationally, without rushing into an uninformed choice for your home.
On average, a furnace will last 15 to 20 years, and a central air conditioning system will last 12 to 15 years, depending on the quality and efficiency of the equipment. If your furnace and air conditioner were installed at the same time, then they are the same age. So, if your air conditioner stops working at the end of its usable life (10-12 years), then your furnace is also near the end of its usable life. If you have to replace your air conditioner, consider replacing your furnace and coil in order to maximize the return from your investment.
How do I know if it’s time to replace?
There are certain telltale signs that indicate it’s time to either replace your heating and cooling equipment or improve the performance of your overall system:
- Your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old
- Your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old
- Your energy bills are going up
- Your cooling or heating isn’t as efficient as it used to be
- Some rooms are too hot or too cold
- Your home is too dry in the winter or too humid in the summer
- Your home has excessive dust
- Your heating or cooling system is noisy
Replacing an air conditioner and a furnace at the same time can be expensive. However, based on the information given, replacing your furnace and air conditioner at the same time is smart and cost-effective and at TMS, we will work with you to get the best system for the best price and we always offer a variety of financing options. It will save you money in the future by lowering your energy bills, reducing repairs, and minimizing installation costs. Your comfort level will increase year-round when you get the best performance possible out of your system and better maintain the temperature and humidity levels in your home.
Ultimately, the decision is yours. However, it will always be strongly suggested that you get a matched system. Replacing both your air conditioner and furnace at the same time will help keep your home as safe and comfortable as possible.
Source: https://www.allcomfortservices.com/latest-news/the-benefit-of-purchasing-a-system-versus-a-single-unit/
