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Even the highest quality heating and cooling systems need to be replaced after a certain amount of time, but the specific amount of time depends on the type of HVAC system in your home. A standard HVAC system, whether it involves a heat pump or furnace as a heating generator, will last somewhere between 15 and 20 years on average.

Don't know old your HVAC is? Here are three signs that it's time to replace your HVAC unit, courtesy of the experts at R&D Heating and Cooling:

1. A Noticeable Rise in Gas or Electric Costs

Over time, your heating and cooling unit will become less and less efficient. You won't be able to tell by looking at it, but you're likely to notice when it shows up on your energy bills.

Whether your home is heated using gas or electricity, the first time you're likely to notice when winter rolls around. Our region might not get consistently hot enough in the summer that your HVAC is running constantly to cool your home, but it's likely that in the coldest parts of January and February, there will be stretches where you're heating your home for weeks on end. During these times, you'll start to notice a major increase in electricity costs.

Do your due diligence to make sure it isn't caused by other factors: a colder winter than usual, for example, or a faulty thermostat, but most likely, it's due to the age of your home's HVAC.

You may be tempted to repair the unit, and this may be effective for a while, but in the long run, it will be cost-effective to replace the whole system.

2. Declining Indoor Air Quality

Old HVAC units, filters, and air vents can cause a major decrease in indoor air quality. Those won't be immediately noticeable but at a certain point, you might notice that you and/or occupants of your household or business having more difficulty breathing normally. Sometimes the cause of this is faulty ventilation or a dirty filter. Other times, it's a sign that you need a new heating and cooling system.

The first step is to have HVAC experts perform an indoor air quality audit, and an inspection of your vents, filters, and HVAC units. Once air quality drops to a certain point, replacing the entire system makes more financial sense than trying to repair the problem. The experts at R&D Heating and Cooling can advise on the steps to take improve your air quality while making a decision that will save you time and money in the future.

3. Ineffective Heating and Cooling

Sometimes the symptoms of an HVAC unit that needs to be replaced is as simple as not feeling comfortable in your home or office. Maybe in the past, your heat or AC made it very easy to warm up or cool down in the appropriate seasons, but lately, you've felt less and less comfortable while watching your energy bills slowly increase.

This likely means that your HVAC system is working harder than before to less effect, usually because of age. When this equipment makes it past 10 to 12 years old, you'll notice that it will start to work less efficiently, costing you more, and causing you to be less comfortable.

The team at R&D Heating and Cooling are experienced in dealing with residential and commercial HVAC equipment. If you notice one of these things happening, give us a call, and we'll tell you definitively, whether it's time to replace your HVAC unit.