Should I Replace My Air Conditioner and Furnace at the Same Time?

​Know the Best Time To Replace a Furnace

Any major appliance change in the home can be an expensive undertaking and having to change out your air conditioning unit is one of the more costly repairs of homeownership. Though the expense might be more than you are willing to pay, by changing out your furnace when you are also replacing your air conditioning unit, you stand to save more money down the road. As the leading HVAC contractor in Sonoma and Marin County, you can count on Next Level HVAC to handle your replacement job.

​Replace Your Equipment Due to Age

Nothing lasts forever, and the standard lifespan of an air conditioning unit is around 15 years. It is possible to get more use of the system, especially if you take care to maintenance the unit at least twice a year. With a furnace, you can expect to have twice the lifespan of your air conditioning unit. The temptation would be to only replace the older of the two pieces of equipment, but you could be jeopardizing the efficiency of the entire system by doing so.

Keep a Balance in the System

The air conditioner and the furnace take care of separate comfort elements in the home, even though the two pieces of equipment work together. The furnace is directly related to the heat pumped into the home, though it must rely on the AC unit to distribute the hot air throughout the house. In the summertime, the air conditioner cools down the heated air and moves it throughout the house.

One of our Next Level HVAC technicians can help you understand your equipment. With a split system, there is an indoor and an outdoor unit. On the outside, you will find the condenser coil and compressor, and the interior unit ensures the distribution of heated air from the furnace. A packaged system has all of the components in one location. Replacing one failed component without addressing the other leads to an imbalance in efficiency.

Choose Efficiency

It is a good idea to contact Next Level HVAC to replace an outdated unit or one that is operating erratically before it breaks down completely. When considering whether or not to replace your furnace at the same time, evaluate the following factors:

1. Furnaces older than 15 years will not have the same efficiency as newer model air conditioning units, particularly those with SEER ratings higher than 16. This would detract from the efficiency and economic benefits a new AC unit should bring.
2. An older furnace will eventually need replacing, and there is no guarantee of how long you can put off the investment.
3. It is much easier to repair and keep up with the maintenance on a new furnace than it is to invest in repairs on an old one.
4. Furnaces still under 10 years old are potentially able to last until the next time your AC unit would need to be replaced.

Depend on the Expert HVAC Contractor in Sonoma and Marin County

​Whether you want to schedule routine cleaning of your equipment, or you need an estimate on replacing both your furnace and air conditioning, call our experienced technicians at 707-228-9921. Next Level HVAC can answer your questions and handle your installation needs. Contact us today!