My husband and I have spent a lot of time consulting with an architect. After living in our cramped, starter home for the past 11 years, we were finally ready to make some needed changes to it. We have added an extra 600 square feet of space onto our house. Before the construction began, we finalized the plans for our new heating and air conditioning unit with our HVAC contractor. Because our home was going to be substantially bigger than it is now, we purchased a larger HVAC system. We also installed a new, digital thermostat inside my home. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best types of HVAC units to buy for mid-size homes. Enjoy!
Any HVAC contractor will attest that proper maintenance of your heating and air conditioning components is an excellent way to reduce costs of operation and extend the lifespan of expensive equipment. But the demands of a career, raising children, and taking care of simple daily tasks around the house can quickly push HVAC maintenance to the back burner for many families. If you, as a homeowner, know that you need to do a better job of taking care of your home's heating and cooling system, here are some proactive tips you can use to help ensure that it actually gets done.
Budget now for future for HVAC repairs and replacement
It's a given that every homeowner, at some point in time, will need to repair or replace their heating and cooling system. In too many cases, however, homeowners struggle to find a way to pay for repairing or replacing their current system because they lacked a plan and savings to cover the expense. Homeowners can avoid this type of financial emergency by simply adding a line to their current budget expressly for these needs.
To determine how much you need to have budgeted for HVAC repair and replacement and how long you likely have to amass it, determine the age of your current system and the approximate amount needed to cover the cost of replacing it. Recent estimates show that a furnace typically lasts a minimum of 16 years, and an air conditioning system is expected to last a minimum of 12 years, with the current average cost of HVAC replacement running approximately $7,500.
To determine how quickly you will need to fund your budget for these costs, divide the cost of replacement by the number of years of remaining life expectancy your current system has. For example, if your system is relatively new and has about ten years of expected lifespan remaining, budgeting $750 per year ( just $62.50 per month) will help you be financially prepared when a new system is needed.
Use a filter service to ensure timely filter changes
Filter changes are a key factor in preventing the excessive wear on HVAC components that can steal efficiency and impact lifespan. To make sure that filter changes are not postponed or forgotten, consider subscribing to a filter service that automatically sends the correct filter to your home at the recommended time throughout the year. Doing this both prompts homeowners to remember to change the filter and ensures that they have the correct filter in hand to do so.
For even more proactive tips for putting your HVAC maintenance, repair, and replacement on auto-pilot, take time to ask your trusted HVAC contractor for suggestions.
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