“A complete system replacement is your best option.”
Not the words you want to hear from your air conditioning specialist, right?
To be honest, I feel bad whenever I have to say those words. I understand, for many reasons, that that is a hard pill to swallow.
Even so, in my years of experiences, I’ve learned that the most important thing we can do is focus on helping you make the best, smartest decisions when the time comes. So, in the case that you need to replace your system this year, here are a couple things you need to know.
The Starting Price for System Replacement Increased
As of January 1, 2023, the government raised the minimum efficiency requirements for heating and cooling systems. In addition, they changed the way energy efficiency is rated. We now use SEER2 vs the old SEER. This new rating system is a more realistic test whereas the old standard was incredibly lenient.
What does this mean?
- What your neighbor paid for a new system last year is not an accurate gauge now.
- It is more likely you’ll be asked to replace your system based on these updated standards.
- Since the bar has been raised, so has the minimum price of a heating and cooling system.
While the new standards are more accurate and safer for your home, my team at Frontline understands that the cost of living has increased overall. We are always mindful that price is a huge factor and will always do our best to offer you high quality services at competitive prices.
New-Home System Designs are More Difficult
Rules of thumb and shooting from the hip are a thing of the past. The gap between stupid and hurt is narrowing.
However you want to put it, it is simply harder to get away with winging it in new construction homes.
We are now seeing the effects of oversized and poorly designed air conditioning systems in newer, supposedly energy efficient homes. There has been an abundance of mold, inconsistent temperatures between rooms, lack of comfort, warped wooden floors, and shorter system lifespans. Not good!
Frontline Comfort is a member of several organizations who wrote books on design and installation. We use them to guide our current code. Meaning, my team has years of experience exceeding design standards. It’s simply part of the job!
When working with contractors, ask them to show their work (yes, like we used to have to do in school!). If they can’t provide you paperwork clearly defining why they’re doing what they’re doing, hire someone else.
Want it done right the first time?
It’s never fun to have to install a new heating and cooling system. I know. It’s never fun for us to break the news. But, despite the upfront price, there are ways you can prevent an even pricier endeavor later on.
