(Coconut Creek, FL, September 29, 2010) – If your air conditioning and/or heating system fails, you are often faced with a choice, to repair the existing unit by replacing parts or by buying a new system. According to Joe Canosa, General Manager of Lindstrom Air, a local heating & cooling company, “When faced with this decision there are three main factors you should consider: life expectancy, efficiency and current condition of your unit.”
According to Canosa, “Most central air conditioning systems in South Florida will last between 8 and 12 years, after that point they lose their efficiency, become expensive to repair and break down more often. Also parts are sometimes discontinued which causes them to be more expensive, if not completely unavailable.” Consider the age of your central air conditioning equipment and if it’s 8 years old it is nearing the end of its life expectancy. Canosa points out that you can add at least four years onto this number if you’ve consistently had it professionally maintained during this time.
Canosa states, “Even if you completely restore an aging unit (which is expensive to do!), you will still only have the efficiency that it was rated for when it was manufactured, at best.” Newer unit efficiencies, due to constant improvement and increasing government-imposed energy standards, have greatly improved over the past 20 years. According to Canosa, in a lot of cases, installing a new air conditioning and/or heating system can pay for itself in energy savings within a relatively short period of time.
The condition of your unit is the third factor to consider. Canosa says you should take into account the quality of your current unit, number of breakdowns you’ve experienced, and how often your unit has been maintained. If you have not maintained your unit and breakdowns are frequent, replacement should be a serious consideration. In this situation, no matter what the skill of the installer or service technician, there is little that can be done except replace the system.
So when faced with the decision to repair or replace your air conditioning and/or heating system, make sure to consider all of these factors. This will help you make an informed decision that is most beneficial to you!
Canosa wants to remind homeowners that are considering cooling and/or heating system replacement, to keep in mind that there is a federal tax credit available on primary residences equal to 30%, up to $1500, on qualified Energy Star rated (www.energystar.gov) central air conditioners and heat pumps. You will need to act quickly, as this tax credit will expire on December 31, 2010!
Lindstrom Air
Lindstrom Air Conditioning was founded by Carl Lindstrom in 1975 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Since 1975, Lindstrom has evolved into one of Florida's oldest and most trusted service companies with more than 150 team members. Lindstrom is proud of their tradition of excellence serving homeowners and businesses in Florida. Lindstrom is committed to investing the time and resources needed to improve the quality of life for the residents and businesses in the Southeast Florida area. For more information go to, www.lindstromair.com.