Are you thinking about replacing an HVAC system in your Twin Cities home? Before you commit to the job, consider the following four key aspects:
How Do You Know if It’s Time to Replace?
If your heating or cooling system is over 12-15 years old and/or you’re experiencing frequent problems that never seem to be resolved, it may be time to replace the equipment or system that’s giving you problems. When upgrading, consider selecting from new and more energy-efficient Energy Star-qualified equipment.
Should You Replace the Whole System or Just the Part That’s Problematic?
This is usually a question that arises with regard to a split-system A/C or heat pump. Often, the outdoor condensing unit will wear out before the indoor evaporator/air handler, because the outside equipment is exposed to the elements. If this happens, you may be tempted to just replace the condenser/compressor. However, it’s usually not advisable to pair an old air handler with a new condenser/compressor. They have different efficiency ratings and work with different types of refrigerant. Even if you can make the pairing work, you’ll likely not benefit from better efficiency, and likely will see performance issues.
What Size System Should You Get?
A new HVAC system should be sized according to the specific layout and heating and cooling loads of your home. If your equipment is too small, it will struggle during hot and cold weather. If your equipment is too large, you’ll experience higher energy bills than necessary and have poor humidity and temperature control.
To properly size a cooling or heating system for your home, an expert HVAC technician will perform a professional cooling or heating load calculation, taking into account a constellation of factors unique to your home.
What Type of System Should You Get?
There are many different types of cooling and heating systems on the market. Choosing the right system for your home means balancing your budget concerns, property layout and energy requirements. Your HVAC contractor can help you go through your options and select the best HVAC system to fit your needs.
For more information about replacing the HVAC system in your Twin Cities area home, please contact the experts at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning Co.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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