When summer temperatures rise, your current system might feel the heat. High humidity and changing temperatures are all factors in how well your HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) unit heats or cools your home. While upgrading may seem like a large cost at first, your savings quickly add up. Upgrading reduces high utility bills and replaces outdated and inefficient systems. Let’s take a look at why it’s a good idea to consider a system upgrade.
Save Money and Energy
Homeowners in the US spend approximately 22% of their monthly budget on utility costs and a new system might drop that total to 8-10%. Consider the age and size of your current system to determine if it’s time to upgrade. Replacing an older HVAC system with an efficient one is a cost-saver in average utility savings of 20-50%. When better insulation and ducts are properly sealed during installation, you save energy costs too. Because your new system doesn’t have to work too hard, it may last longer than your current unit and can even increase property value.
Create a Healthier Home
Dirt, pollen, pet hair, dander, dust, and debris: all these things are circulated through your air ducts and into your home. Systems that don’t filter out particles and dirt, or if debris has accumulated for some time, create prime conditions for allergy and asthma flare-ups. New HVAC systems offer variable motors that move air around better to increase filtration efficiency. Today’s systems work better at removing allergens and dust particles for cleaner air and a healthier home overall.
Reduce Noise Pollution
Image via Flickr by DaynaT
Comfort isn’t just about the right temperature, noisy units can be a distraction and might be a sign the system is aging. Your home’s square footage is also a factor in the noise the system creates since systems that are too big don’t run efficiently; too small and they are overburdened. The wrong size unit might prompt unnecessary noise if the system continuously cycles on and off. New systems are quieter and include the proper sealing of ducts and better insulation during installation.
Create Efficiency
Is your system over ten years old? Rest assured today’s are 20-40% more efficient than yours if it’s older than a decade. It might be tempting to purchase a bigger system with the thinking that a larger unit will cool faster, but bigger doesn’t mean better. Since HVAC also dehumidifies, an oversized system might cool the home too quickly without the chance to dry the air as well. Increased moisture in the air can lead to condensation and mold growth. New systems circulate air better and the consistent movement creates even temperatures throughout the home to eliminate hot and cold spots.
Modern systems and additions create efficiency and cost savings through technology and innovation.
- Air-source heat pumps (ASHP)
- Geothermal heat pumps
- Solar heating
- Electric baseboards
- Programmable thermostats
- Smart thermostats
Consider talking to a professional before you upgrade to be sure you’re getting the system that fits your needs. Ask about the system’s cost and energy-saving benefits and choose your next HVAC system with confidence. How cool is that?
Show Comments (0)