Is Your Furnace From the Jurassic Period?

Is your heating and air conditioning system so old it belongs in a museum?

Maybe it’s not as old as T-Rex, but if it’s past its prime, it could be eating you for lunch with high utilities.

When is a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump past its prime?  How old is too old?

A couple of years ago, Appliance Magazine published a report of the life expectancy one could expect for a range of appliances, including central heating and air conditioning equipment.  The life expectancy is determined from past experience and sales data.  The average life of an appliance isn’t the age the appliance wears out and dies, though some do.  It is also not the age when you should replace.  Some would argue that many homeowners wait too long to replace their heating and air conditioning system.  The average life expectancy shown below represents the average number of years before most homeowners purchase a replacement.  The estimates shown below represent the expert judgment of the Appliance Magazine staff, based on input from manufacturers, industry trade associations, government statistics, and a variety of other sources.

When you exceed the minimum life expectancy, you can feel good about the service you have received from your system.  You have gotten good use out of your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump.  However, if you wait too long to replace your system, you risk paying more in utilities and repair costs than you will spend on the equipment itself.  It’s usually less expensive in the long run to replace earlier instead of later.  In the end, you still must replace your equipment.  Wait and you will pay a premium for energy usage and repairs.

Heating & Air Conditioning Life Expectancy In Years
	Low	High	Average
Fans, ceiling	7	18	13
Air conditioners, room	7	16	12
Air conditioners, unitary	8	19	13
Humidifiers	6	13	10
Furnaces, electric	9	20	14
Furnaces, gas	11	23	17
Furnaces, oil	13	23	18
Portable heaters	8	13	11
Heat pumps	6	21	14
Dehumidifiers	9	13	11
Room heaters, vented gas	7	18	13
Room heaters, unvented gas	13	23	18
Water heaters, electric	6	21	14
Water heaters, gas	5	13	9