Is It Time To Replace Any of The Major Components and/or Systems In Your Home?

After reviewing the life expectancy list, I realized that we got our money's worth out of most, if not all, of the major components and systems that were original to the house. The Ruud a/c unit we had was long overdue to be replaced but it kept chugging along with only a couple of freon boosts.

I want to quote another website because: a) I couldn't have said it any better, b) it is the absolute truth!

Source: The Old House Web

"Many factors affect the life expectancy of housing components and need to be considered when making replacement decisions, including the quality of the components, the quality of their installation, their level of maintenance, weather and climatic conditions, and intensity of their use."

That says it all.

We like the location of our home, which would explain why we've remained there for 17+ years even though it is our first house. It has grown somewhat cramped with the kids, pets and accumulation of "personal belongings", but it's nice and the utility bills are low. Thus, we have remained for quite a long time (compared to today's standards) and, consequently, we have been replacing most of the major components of our home over the past few years. Our builder did a good job upon installation of components and systems during the construction phase (for the most part) so most things have lasted up to our expectations. Then again, the roofing crew that originally worked on the house lacked a certain amount of roofing skills. That's about as nice as I can say it! When we decided to reroof the house last year I had no hesitation in hiring our friend, Kevin King, because he knows his way around roofs, to say the least. He co-owns Atlanta Roofing Specialists and they did an extraordinary job! They have all the credentials and experience necessary to get the job done right. Please give him a call if you live in the metro Atlanta area.

We've also replaced our dishwasher, washer and dryer, water heater and a completely new HVAC system due to worn out parts, etc. Each item was carefully selected for brand/model reliability, Energy Star compliance (whenever applicable and monetarily feasible), ease of use and design. Our most recent investment in a replacement component was a biggie! The HVAC system. After many hours of researching SEER, brand reliability, HVAC forum discussion, etc. we decided on an American Standard air conditioner/heat pump and Furnace/Blower with an Air Bear whole house media air cleaner filter system.

Specifically:

Anyone in the HVAC biz will tell you that most systems will work well, it's just a matter of how competent the installer is. We chose our installer very carefully. I interviewed 3 different installers and felt entirely comfortable with my choice because he was very knowledgeable, decades of experience, excellent communication skills and he was an authorized dealer/installer for American Standard HVAC systems. I chose Jim Bradshaw because he wasn't just the salesman, he was the installer and the owner of the company. I knew from listening to Jim, and from his portfolio/credentials, that he was the man for the job.

Excellent HVAC links:

Bottom line is just that...it's all about the BOTTOM LINE. Our plan was to replace our major household components, as they wore out, with high efficiency units that would last. I've heard alot of grumbling about extremely high gas bills this winter due to price increases but ours actually decreased down to a staggering $54 for the month of December. I'm quite certain that it has everything to do with...

All in all, I know that the time invested in researching components and systems will pay dividends down the road. Without a doubt there are tons of decisions to be made when the time comes so take the time to educate yourself on the latest and greatest and you shouldn't be disappointed with the results.

More great links for all-around home component/system energy products