There’s nothing more exciting than owning a property you can call home. Learning more about its features can be daunting, especially if you’re not sure how long they have left before they need to be updated or replaced. One of these is the home’s existing HVAC system. Before signing on the dotted line, you’ll want to ensure it will meet the comfort and energy efficiency needs of your family.
Here’s a handy checklist to help you understand more about the heating and cooling system of the home you’re looking to purchase.
Age
HVAC systems last as long as their average life spans with regular maintenance. After that, it will be difficult for the furnace, air conditioner or heat pump to continue working properly. A thorough assessment by an experienced technician will help determine whether it can still benefit from simple repairs and maintenance, or if it will require an immediate replacement.
Insulation
Find out from the owner what kind of insulation the house has and when it was installed. Over time, insulation tends to settle, and if fresh insulation isn’t added, the house may start to leak out energy. It is more difficult to heat and cool a home evenly in drafty areas. That might make the HVAC system work harder, raising energy costs.
History
Ask the previous homeowner about the HVAC system’s overall history – from when it was first installed, to the last time it received a tune-up or maintenance check. Was it installed by a reliable company? Are they still in business? Does the system have annual maintenance? You’ll want to know if it has undergone extensive repairs that could indicate potential problems. It counts whether the repairs were completed by a trustworthy heating and air condition repair contractor.
Refrigerant
Older HVAC systems use the now-banned R-22 refrigerant. If the home’s system still uses R-22, you can still utilize it, although you may have trouble identifying it. To use a safer refrigerant, replace or modify your HVAC system.
Efficiency Rating
Every HVAC system has an energy performance label. In air conditioners and heat pumps, that would be the SEER or the seasonal energy efficiency ratio; in furnaces and other heating systems, that would be the AFUE or annual fuel utilization efficiency. Higher efficiency ACs or heat pumps have a SEER rating of 15 or higher, and furnaces have at least 90% AFUE. Keep in mind that systems with less efficiency can cost a lot more to run in the long run.
If you are thinking about buying a new home, rely on Modern Air Solutions for your professional HVAC inspection. If our heating and air condition service professionals find that the HVAC system of the home you’re looking to purchase requires replacement, we can help you find ENERGY STAR®-rated options that can boost your new home’s comfort and energy efficiency. Call (630) 534-9037, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.
