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Furnace Repair | Why You Should Upgrade the Furnace and AC Together
Many things are better when coupled together, like peanut butter and jelly or salt and pepper. This is also true when you upgrade the furnace and AC together. There are many reasons for this and after you read more you will see the advantages of doing so. As an added bit of information, we have also addressed when it might not be necessary to replace both at the same time. When you install a new air conditioning system with an old furnace it is hard for the dated furnace to keep up.
It makes the most sense to replace a furnace that is 15-20 years in life. Another thing worth noting is that the average life expectancy of a furnace is two times longer than that of an air conditioning system.
One of the common questions we get asked at Hot to Cold Mechanical is what the difference is between a mid-efficiency furnace and a high efficiency furnace. The main differing characteristic is the amount of gas that is burned by the furnace as well as how the gas is burned. With a high efficiency furnace the gas is burned while the furnace is bringing in air from the outside. A high efficiency furnace has electronic control modules built in also known as ECM.
New Furnaces are better and more efficient
These controls are able to maintain the proper speed of the fans so that you get to the desired temperature in the fastest, most efficient, and safest way. This helps to bring down the overall consumption of gas and electricity, so you use less energy, and it costs you less when looking at your utility bills over the year. This is all made possible by the improvements made in the technology for heating and cooling. These advances are built into the high efficiency furnaces.
It is worth mentioning that an air conditioning system performs better when you upgrade the furnace and AC together because of the ECMs that are on the fans. By matching the air conditioning system to a new furnace, it ensures the ECMs are blowing properly because they are matched perfectly. The other thing that happens is the gases are evaporated and the cold is brought into the home in the most efficient way. Essentially these two systems work best when they are tuned into each other.
If your new air conditioning system has an increased efficiency that is rated to over 16 SEER an older furnace will not help the efficiency of the new air conditioning unit. It will become an impractical expense to have such an efficient AC unit. Which is why its wise and prudent to upgrade the furnace and AC together.
Upgrade the Furnace and AC Together | Main Benefits
It might seem obvious that the furnace improves on the heating side as well when you choose a new high efficiency furnace but maybe you have never understood why. When it comes to a new high efficiency furnace there are two stages of heating. The first stage will run for awhile and you can set how long this timeframe will be. Once that time is reached the second stage will kick in. This is when the gas burns stronger and better to get the temperature to where it is set at the fastest pace. This allows for less wastage or consumption.
Another good reason to replace your air conditioning and furnace systems at the same time is the massive savings you will have on labour expenses and fees. There may even be incentives in place in addition to the savings. At Hot to Cold Mechanical, we offer a free humidifier with any new furnace purchase. If you upgrade the furnace and AC together you get the most out of the match.
You can increase the lifespan, performance, and efficiency on each system by starting out fresh together. On the other hand, if your furnace is less than ten years old it does not typically make sense to replace it until the next time you need to replace your air conditioning system. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you should upgrade the furnace and AC together if the furnace is 25 to 30 years or the air conditioning system is 10 to 15 years.
Upgrade the Furnace and AC Together if your system is old
If your current HVAC system is not the right size for your home, it is a good idea to replace the two systems at the same time. Something to keep in mind is every seven hundred square feet needs a tonne of cooling. When you have proper size equipment it can help reduce high energy bills and hot and cold spots. When you have the wrong size system it can add wear and tear to it making its lifespan shorter by up to 10 years.
Other advantages to upgrade the furnace and AC together is that not only can you enjoy enhanced efficiency by matching the two, but you will also make your living space more comfortable, reduce utility bills and ensure the systems work well in tandem and high efficiency. Something else to consider is that you will most likely have less future HVAC repairs. If you mismatch an old system with a new, you could run into the possibility of a lot more repairs needed.
Instead of paying for the repairs you can use that money to upgrade the furnace and AC together. In terms of repair and maintenance, a new furnace is the best option overall. When you mix the old with the new neither may work to their full potential. The components within both systems will not be as well suited to work and function together. This makes it harder for both systems to work to their full capacity.