Maintaining a home, or any other premise, at optimum temperatures, and air quality requires the use of efficient HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) equipment. This does not mean that a person should ensure the running of these equipments at whatever costs as they can consume high energy; incurring higher energy bills. It is, thus, a wise move to install high-efficiency units or replace existing inefficient, high-energy consuming equipment with high-efficiency ones. Replacing equipment may be much cheaper, in the long run as it may reduce power bills and regular repair expenses. It is vital for a person to know when to replace heating and cooling equipment, and the following could be red flags that the equipment must be replaced.
Red flags to equipment replacement
Constant breakdown
When fans, air conditioners, boilers and other HVAC equipment stop functioning as well as they once did, they should be replaced. For instance, when the equipment has to be set a higher degree to provide the same comfort (heating, cooling or air quality) as before, then it is failing and will consume more energy and result in higher energy bills. When the equipment goes off on its own, regularly and for no reason, and repairs and check-ups have done nothing to rectify the situation, it should perhaps be replaced with an efficient one.
High energy consumption
Some equipments may not show any signs of aging, but an outrageous increased unit consumption of energy whenever the equipments are on, should be an indication that the equipments are energy-inefficient and should be replaced. Modern inventions of equipments consume less energy, yet provide the same level of home/ office comfort as their older, energy inefficient counterparts. A client should choose products with Energy Star label, reflecting their energy consumption. A programmable thermostat is a good investment in saving energy with HVAC equipment as it can be set to regulate equipment operations, only when needed.
Equipment age
New equipments function optimally, but with time, they lose their efficiency; provide less comfort, consume more energy and sometimes cannot operate for long durations without being switched off. Any equipment that is over 5, 10, 15 or 20 years, depending on its manufacturer’s validity label, should be replaced. Whereas it may not require regular repairs, its efficiency reduces and energy consumption increases, and this reduces home comfort while incurring higher energy bills. New, high-efficient units save much more power than old equipment and provide much comfort.
The decision to replace HVAC equipment should be triggered by, among other factors, its irregular output, high energy consumption and inefficiency. The option to replace the equipment lies with the consumer, but HVAC professionals should be employed to recommend high-efficiency units and conduct the manual work (installation and replacement). The choice of high, energy efficient equipment not only saves the consumer repeated and expensive HVAC equipment repair trips but also ensures optimum indoor and outdoor conditions with lower energy bills.
