"Biting The Bullet" (Inevitable, why not now...?)

During the first 7 months of this year, we spent considerable time & effort, urging you to take care of possibly the most expensive investment you have in your home, your HVAC system…primarily for 3 reasons. (1) It is essential for you & your family’s health, comfort, and convenience (2) with the steadily rising cost of energy (and no end in sight), it’s just common sense to be sure that your systems are operating at optimum efficiency and (3) by extending the life of your expensive equipment by protecting it with regular care and maintenance you can delay the premature costs of replacement.

For many people, energy savings have not been all that important until fairly recently. We’ve transferred the same blasé attitude of cost that we have when we flip a switch and the lights come on, to the thermostat…expecting that the HVAC system will provide heating and cooling as desired, with little regard to how much it costs.

     But now that the recent projections of the local energy providers that predicted 35% increase in natural gas prices and a 18% increase in electricity have become a reality, this looming sharp spike in energy costs is grabbing the attention of many, and we are beginning to see an increasing number of people, seriously weighing the costs and benefits and then replacing older equipment with more efficient HVAC equipment.

     That even when the equipment has been well maintained, in today’s economic environment, the physical life of your equipment can often be longer than its economic life. Sometimes it is advisable to replace an older heating or cooling system before it stops working because of the benefits to be gained by installing a higher efficiency model or because of the high cost of repairing a necessary component of your existing system.

     Their reasoning seems to go along these lines: (1) It looks like fuel costs are more likely to increase, than go down over the long run and (2) money spent on repairs of an aging HVAC system could instead be going toward a new, more efficient system. That these monthly savings continue after you reach the “break even” or “payback” period on the new equipment is just an additional bonus. When you consider that the new equipment would have a higher efficiency rating and a manufacturer’s warranty, the advantages become even clearer.

     There is one key rule to consider when contemplating the advisability of replacing your HVAC system: its age. There has been substantial progress made in the energy efficiency of heating and cooling systems in recent years and the savings in energy costs could more than make up for the cost of replacing an older system. I.e., a new system may be as much as 60% more efficient than one manufactured 10 years ago.


Here is some basic history of SEER’s. If your home system is:

	Pre 1980		Your SEER Rating is 6 or less
	1980 – 1985		Your SEER Rating is 7 or less
	1986 – 1991		Your SEER Rating is 8 or less
	1991 – 2005		Your SEER Rating is 10 – 12 or less
	2006- 2008		Your SEER Rating is a minimum 13

After you have determined the SEER rating of your system, it is easy to see the effect a SEER rating has in $$$, IF your system is operating at its rated efficiency, by using the chart that follows. Obviously, the higher the efficiency, the more $$$ you save during the cooling season.

The Impact of SEER Rating on Energy Costs


As you can see from the chart, for every $100 you spend to cool your home using a 10 SEER system, you would spend considerably less using a system of 12 SEER or higher. For example, if your annual cooling costs were $1,000 with a 10 SEER system, they could be reduced to $710 with a 14 SEER system.

Here are some warning signs that may mean it’s time to consider replacing your system:

		Warning Sign #1: First & foremost is the one mentioned above…the age of your system…is it over 10 years old?

		Warning Sign #2: Repairs. Make a list of your repair bills for the past 2 years. If you have replaced any major components, such as the compressor, evaporator or condenser coils, or the heat exchanger in the past several years, or if your unit just seems to need “semi-frequent” repairs, it could be trying to tell you something. Have you already made a down payment on a new system?

		Warning Sign #3: Have the “costs to operate” your system increased substantially? Higher energy costs could mean that the system has started to operate less efficiently and might need to be replaced soon to avoid even higher cooling bills.

		Warning Sign #4: Noise. Increased noisiness can be caused by a variety of things but is usually an indication that the equipment is not functioning correctly with resulting inefficiency.

If you have started to notice any of these warning signs, it might be time to seriously consider replacement and while there is no “fail safe” way to predict when your old air conditioner will “give up the ghost”, by paying attention to these signs, you can take action to avoid the unpleasant inconveniences that come with a system failure.

Finally, do you believe that like energy costs, upcoming repair costs will (1) go up (2) stay the same or (3) go down in the foreseeable future? Then, depending upon your answer, how long will it take at the rate you will spend, to pay for a new system with all its comfort and benefits and yet still be stuck with the same old system?

If you would like additional information on this or any of our services including DIY financing, click here.

SPECIAL NOTICE:
Readers of our last newsletter received an advanced preview of our annual Fall 32 Point “Tune-up/Check-up” of heating systems to prepare them for winter…and the whopping discounts (up to 40%) available for early subscribers. Click here to review the details.

There are just 3 days remaining before the limited offer is formally introduced. By placing your order now, you are not only assured of receiving the whopping 40% discount but are able to schedule the time of the tune-up at your convenience.

To Order NOW: Two ways to order (1) On line at www.climatemakers.com & get an additional $5 discount or (2) by phone dial HOT-COLD (468-2653). Either way you must order by 09/13/08 to get the full 40% discount. Discount schedule can be seen by clicking here.


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