Video Transcript:
Hi, I’m Greg with Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. I’m sure you have plenty of questions about replacing your AC system, so let’s visit some of the most frequently asked questions that we get asked when helping customers like you.
How long does the new system last?
On average, AC systems last anywhere from 10 to 15 years. The reason there’s a bit of a wide window there is it’s around years 10 to 12 is where we’ll start to see major issues with the systems that could lead to high repair costs, leading homeowners to decide it’s better off for them to replace them, and then it’s around 12 to 15 years that we’ll start to see systems completely fail, leaving the homeowner no option than to replace.
Should I consider an AC replacement?
Should you consider it? Yes. Should you replace your AC system? Maybe. There’s a number of things to consider. One of those things could be is this system still under warranty? Systems under warranty can help mitigate repair costs, keep them low. Sometimes can keep them even at $0. A system under warranty may not be in your best interest to replace. Age of the system. Average life expectancy can be anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Are you falling before that range? In that range, or have you already exceeded the life expectancy of your system? Is the system still working effectively and efficiently? Have your energy bills remained the same, or are you starting to see your energy bills spike? Has the comfort level remained the same in your home, or are you starting to notice that it’s struggling to keep up temperature? Those are some questions to ask yourself to determine if now may be the time. And another really important question is how long do you plan on spending in the home? Are you ready to move in a year or two? Do you plan on being there for the long haul? Now may or may not be the best time to make a long-term investment in your home.
Is repair or replacement a better option for me?
This kind of depends on your specific case, and a lot of the factors are the same as the factor of whether you should replace your system that we spoke about previously. Is the system still under warranty? If so, the repairs may be lower cost or even potentially free. What’s the age of the system? Is it falling in that average life expectancy window? Have you already exceeded that window? If so, spending money to repair a system
that is already past life expectancy may not be in your best interest. Also, how long do you plan on living in the home? Is a repair that’s going to get you an additional 1 to 2 years is going to be enough time for you to sell the house and move on. On top of those previous factors, the type of refrigerant comes into play. The government and the EPA have deemed some types of refrigerant unsafe for the environment, and they either slow down or stop the manufacturing of that refrigerant, For example, R-22, commonly known as Freon, has already been banned by the EPA. R-410A is currently being phased out, and they’re beginning to roll out new refrigerant types such as R-32, R-54B, and R-466A. And then obviously the cost of the repair comes into play. Are we talking about a small repair where $100 or $200 will get you six months, a year, two years down the line? Or are we talking about putting thousands of dollars into a piece of equipment that doesn’t have a lot of life left, and that thousands of dollars could have gone a long way in getting you closer to the cost of just replacing the system in it’s entirety?
Should I replace my whole HVAC system at the same time?
Some homeowners have an AC and a furnace that are together as all one system, heating and cooling the home. So they want to consider if I’m going to replace my AC, should I also be replacing my furnace? This is also going to be dependent on your specific situation. Some things to consider is again, I sound like a broken record, but how long do you plan on living in the home when you’re making a big decision like that, that is an important factor to consider if you’re able to predict the future to that extent. What is the age of the other piece of equipment that we’re talking about? Is your furnace relatively new? Is your furnace the same age as your AC system? Is the furnace even older? Often times when homeowners have two pieces of older equipment, it does make sense to replace them at the same time. One of the reasons is cost savings. If we’re going to come out, we’re going to replace your AC system. We’re going to be working around your furnace. We may be dealing with some of the same electrical wire, some of the same parts. It’s easy for us to just rip out the AC and furnace and install a new furnace and a new AC at the same time. It might take half a day to put in a new AC system. It might take a little over half a day to put in a new furnace, but when we’re doing them together, we’re actually able to do it all in one day, and we’re able to pass along that savings to you as a homeowner. Another benefit is just the systems do work together. A furnace houses the blower motor that moves the air that cools your home. So you may put a brand new AC on top of an older furnace, and now, if that furnace blower motor fails, you’re not going to have cool air even though you have a brand new air conditioning system. So putting new on top of new can match the warranties, so now they’re falling under the same warranties, but it can also ensure that something brand new is functioning with something else that’s brand new, and there’s a lot less likelihood of there being any issues.
What are the benefits of an AC replacement?
The biggest benefit is you have a brand new AC system. Why that’s a benefit? For one, efficiency. Every year, manufacturer and technology advancements allow for more and more efficient equipment to be made, and therefore more and more efficient equipment to be installed in homeowners homes. With efficiency comes lower energy bills, so replacing an older AC system that may be at lower efficiency or as systems age, the efficiency that they’re actually producing lowers. With something brand new that’s going to be operating most likely at a higher efficiency or operating truer to the efficiency level that it should be getting, should lower your energy bills and provide
you with a more efficient AC system. Another important factor to consider is a brand new system is going to come with brand new warranties. Having a system under warranty allows you to have peace of mind that either nothing will go wrong and should it go wrong, that you’re going to be taking care of. That security, knowing that there’s going to be no further costs out of your pocket for the system, can help you sleep at night and help you relax during the day in a very comfortable home. And that’s the third benefit, comfort. I talked about the increases in technology allow for better efficiency. They also allow for better comfort. Having a properly functioning, new, efficient system in your home is going to allow the comfort level of your home to be more in line with what you’re asking it to do at your thermostat.
What is the cost of an AC system replacement?
This is the million dollar question. Not because the answer is $1 million, but because if I could stand here and tell you exactly what the cost of your AC replacement would be in your specific situation, I would be a millionaire. The real answer is it’s important to have a professional come out to meet with you, discuss wants and needs, spec out your specific situation and provide you with options and pricing on what your system installation may cost. That’s a service that we at Mattioni offer for free to our homeowners. The reason why it’s important is there’s different efficiency levels for these systems. There’s different sizes for these systems based on the size of your home. Every home has a different setup. This system gets installed in your home and interacts with your home. Is it getting put in an attic? In a crawl space? In a basement? In a closet? There’s just so many factors that come into play that makes it tough to give a definitive answer of how much it would cost. So to give you a range, if you had a smaller AC system and you wanted to replace it with something that was basic or standard efficiency, and you had a very ideal setup in your home, you could potentially have your AC system replaced for around $6,000. Larger systems, more efficient systems, more difficult setups, all of those things can lead to higher and higher costs depending on what your wants and needs are. On average, we find our homeowners falling somewhere in the 8 to $12,000 range to replace their air conditioning system.
If you have any more questions or want to schedule an appointment with one of our experts to provide you with a replacement quote, you can call the number below. Visit us at callmattoni.com, or visit our online learning center to learn more about your home.
