Using old, outdated HVAC equipment can diminish the health, safety, and comfort of your Springfield, MO home. It can also take a toll on the natural environment. Although your heater, heat pump, or air conditioner might still turn on, this doesn’t mean that it’s providing efficient operation. Read on to learn how age-related changes in your HVAC system can affect everything around you.

Obsolete Refrigerants

Air conditioners and heat pumps regulate indoor temperatures using heat transfer. These appliances use cold refrigerant to absorb heat and move it to another location. Several decades ago, AC and heat pump refrigerants contained chemicals called hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). HCFCs deplete the earth’s ozone layer.

Some older refrigerants also contain chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs have a warming effect on the earth’s stratosphere. If your home’s cooling equipment still uses an outdated refrigerant, running your HVAC system during the summer contributes directly to global warming.

Freon

Also known as R-22, Freon was the standard for residential AC refrigerants until 2010. In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began phasing Freon out given that Freon contains both HCFCs and HFCs. All air conditioners produced after 2010 and before 2022 use Puron or R-410a instead.

Puron

For several years, Puron was considered an eco-friendly replacement for Freon. Puron does not contain HCFCs. However, it does contain HFCs. In an effort to reduce the addition of new HFCs to the earth’s atmosphere, the EPA began phasing out Puron in 2023 with a targeted end date for Puron production of 2036.

OpteonXL41 or R-454B is among the latest alternatives to Puron. R-454B contains neither HCFCs or HFCs. It can also transfer significantly more heat in a single cooling cycle. Heat pumps and ACs that use R-454B can lower temperatures faster and with fewer and shorter cooling cycles overall. In testing, R-454B has consistently proven to be at least 5% more efficient than Puron and 29% more efficient than Freon.

Pilot Lights and Standby Energy Losses

Gas-fired furnaces with pilot lights are a thing of the past. Furnace manufacturers began phasing pilot lights out in the late 1980s, and all furnaces manufactured after 2010 have electronic ignition switches instead. Electronic ignition switches activate only when heating is needed. In comparison, pilot lights remain lit all of the time. Even when furnaces are idle, pilot lights require a steady fuel supply. This results in continuous gas consumption and the creation of extra and unnecessary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If you have an older furnace with a pilot light, replacing this appliance will cut these standby energy losses altogether.

Age-Related Decreases in Efficiency

Efficiency ratings are among the top factors considered when investing in new HVAC equipment. Finding units with high-efficiency ratings helps homeowners curb their heating and cooling-related energy costs. However, the efficiency rating that a unit has when brand-new does not reflect its efficiency after a decade or more of use. Over time, the efficiency of heaters, heat pumps, and air conditioners naturally declines. In fact, it’s estimated that some units lose as much as half of their efficiency after just one decade of service.

Gas-Fired Appliances and Increasing Carbon Footprints

Age-related efficiency losses are the result of normal wear and tear. Buildups of debris, worn parts, and cracked components make it harder for furnaces to create and move heat. Dirty burners, old combustion chambers, and failing limit switches can all make furnaces work harder to create and maintain the temperatures that residents want. With fuel-combusting furnaces, age-related changes in efficiency often go hand in hand with age-related decreases in safety.

Electricity-Reliant HVAC Equipment and Hidden GHGs

Whether you use a heat pump or an electric furnace for heating, age-related changes can take a toll on its efficiency, too. Although electricity-reliant appliances don’t directly produce GHGs, they often result from electricity production. The amount of hidden GHGs for which your electric heater is responsible will gradually increase over time.

Ragged Ducting and Energy Loss

If you have old, leaky air ducts, much of the cooled and heated air that your HVAC system produces could make its way into crawl spaces, basement areas, or behind your drywall. Air duct leaks force heaters, heat pumps, and ACs to work both longer and harder.

How Old HVAC Equipment Affects Your Living Environment

Hanging on to old, outdated HVAC equipment doesn’t affect just the natural environment. It also impacts your living space. You and everyone who lives with you will have to wait longer for your home to reach a comfortable, habitable condition when the outside temperature plummets or soars. Homes with older HVAC systems often have hot and cold spots and unchecked humidity problems. Outdated HVAC equipment can also reduce indoor air quality (IAQ).

Rising Humidity

Condensing furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps provide both temperature control and humidity regulation. During each heating or cooling cycle, they transfer heat and extract excess moisture. If your home feels muggy, clammy, or all-around oppressive when your HVAC system is on, your HVAC equipment could be too old to regulate humidity effectively. If you wait too long to replace an aging and underperforming unit, increased moisture could create the perfect conditions for mildew and mold.

Poor Indoor Air Quality

During annual HVAC tune-up services, our technicians thoroughly clean all indoor and outdoor components. These services improve efficiency by optimizing airflow. However, over time, some heater and AC components can develop tough, tacky buildup that impacts both airflow and heat transfer. This buildup contributes to rising humidity. It can also impact your IAQ by breaking or blowing off or creating the right internal conditions for mildew and mold. This is also a problem in aging HVAC air ducts.

When Is the Best Time to Replace Your HVAC Equipment?

Replacing your HVAC equipment before it fails outright will give you plenty of time to study your options, seek out financing, and prepare for this project. It will also limit the impact that heating and cooling your home has on the environment both indoors and out.

Furnaces

Gas-fired furnaces can last up 20 years. Electric furnaces can last 25 to 30 years. Many furnace manufacturers offer limited parts warranties and extended warranties for heat exchangers. Most manufacturers’ warranties for heat exchangers last 20 years.

You need to schedule a furnace replacement now if your:

  • Home has hot and cold spots
  • Heat exchanger warranty has expired
  • IAQ has declined
  • Energy bill is rising

Aging furnaces experience the majority of the repair issues during the last two years of their service lives. Thus, rising repair costs are also a sign that you need a new furnace.

Air Conditioners

Air conditioners can last 15 to 25 years. Many AC manufacturers provide limited parts warranties and 10- to 12-year warranties for AC compressors. It may be time to replace your air conditioner if you’re:

  • Paying far more for cooling than before
  • Having a hard time controlling your humidity
  • Battling recurring mold problems
  • Scheduling AC repairs each cooling season

If your AC still uses Freon, you’ll have to pay a small fortune for recharge service. The costs of recharging Puron-reliant air conditioners will also increase over time.

We help Springfield residents make informed decisions about their HVAC equipment. We also offer top-notch heating, cooling, and indoor air quality services.

If you’re looking for a way to protect the natural environment and optimize the health and comfort of your home, contact Queen City Heating & Cooling today.

Queen City Team
Queen City Team

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