A new year brings something different for everyone, but what does 2022 have in store for your home? It is a good idea early in the year to take stock of the systems in your home, to better plan for any expenses you might run into down the road—things like water heater replacement, a burst pipe, or even replacing your heating and cooling system.
The life expectancy of a furnace, boiler, air conditioner, or heat pump can vary depending on the manufacturer and your own heating and cooling habits, but there are some symptoms to look for that indicate you might stand to benefit from HVAC replacement sooner rather than later.
If your furnace or AC seems to turn off not long after you start feeling air coming from your vents, you could be suffering from “short cycling”. This happens when your HVAC system is oversized and is too big for the square footage or design of your home. A system that is short cycling will not run efficiently, as extra energy is wasted each time the system starts up!
On the flip side, a furnace or air conditioner that seems to always be on could be undersized for your living space, meaning it can barely keep up with the thermostat settings. In both cases, you may be comfortable in your home, but your heating and cooling system is wasting energy.
If you have started noticing a strange odor coming from your AC vents, or you have had to turn up your TV to hear it over the noise of your furnace, your heating and cooling system may be trying to tell you something. Loud noises like bangs, high pitched squeals, and buzzing should be checked out by an HVAC professional, as well as any strange odors, which can indicate harmful bacteria growth or a leak of some kind.
Your home comfort is the accumulation of many interconnected systems. For example, the conditioned air from your heating and cooling system is delivered by your ductwork, and the insulation in your home—as well as the overall air sealing—is what keep that conditioned air inside instead of leaking out. If you can’t seem to get your home comfortable, the whole-home experts at Russell’s can assess your home from top to bottom, and tell you if HVAC replacement is the right call.
While any energy bill above $0 can feel like too much, consistently rising energy bills also indicate that your heating and cooling system is slipping in efficiency. As wear and tear sets in, your furnace will have to work harder to keep up with your typical thermostat settings, and your air conditioner will be forced to run a few minutes longer. This can cause a rapid decline in your home comfort, as the harder your system works, the faster it deteriorates.