How long do A/C units last? (Plano, Howe: credit, how much)

[mSooner]

Curious as to what the average is for Texas. Perusing homes and there is one we like that had the unit replaced in 2003...of course it depends on the condition of the unit, but I'm interested to know how many years we could expect out of one that age.

[stan4]

Things aren't made today like they were 20 years back.
I am guessing it is going to depend on the model, the load, and how well it was taken care of.

My parents' house was built in 1983. Almost every single appliance (including the three a/c units) are all original and still working. Dishwasher, oven, Subzero, stove, both garage door openers, and two of the three furnaces...all original...

[MckinneyOwnr]

Modern units are far more efficient than their 80's counterparts, but Stan is right... They just aren't built as tough as they used to be. My house was built in 2005, the fan quit working on one of my units already, had it replaced under our home warranty.

Engineers today are told to design parts that will last for a certain period of time, before they are expected to break or need replacement. It's called planned obsolescence.

However, I'd say a good rule of thumb is to expect an A/C unit to last 10 years on average before it needs replacing or service besides a freon charge from time to time.

[SATX56]

They'll last as long as you still think it's worth repairing them. True they are more efficient. But, some of the efficiency comes at the expense of quality. IE... cheap and poorly built under powered parts such as fan motors etc. True they're not built to last any more.. sadly. They never, ..ever, need freon unless they have a leak. Which should be repaired immediately. It's a throw away world!

[hal2814]

SATX56 is right about the freon. It's a closed unit. Needing a freon recharge is indicative of a leak that needs to be fixed.

I ended up replacing my unit from 2002 on my old house back in 2009. It was hit by lightning back in 2004 and ended up needing repairs on a yearly basis until we just got fed up with it. That 2009 unit cost about $6500 to install but had a $1,000 tax credit and brought our electric bill from a $200/mo average to a $120/mo average. I hate that we got ours so soon to us moving, but I was very impressed with how much more efficient the new unit was considering it's only 7 years newer.

[nonexpat]

I would say ten years if you are lucky--especially if they are builder's grade. Our house in Plano was built in 1995, and we had to replace both the upstairs and downstairs units in 2003 and 2005. This was the outside and the coil--very pricey. We replaced them with high quality Carrier units, which I would guess will last longer. Since we had to move, I'll never know.

[LQQKOUT]

My unit was the orginal when home was built in 1979 and I replaced it in 2008. It worked fine- but it needed to be replaced as a part was not being made any longer and the AC guy said it might be best to replace the unit as he only had one of those no longer made parts left. Luckly for us the AC guy is a neighbor and sold it to us at cost OH HAPPY DAY.

[hal2814]

Originally Posted by nonexpat

I would say ten years if you are lucky--especially if they are builder's grade. Our house in Plano was built in 1995, and we had to replace both the upstairs and downstairs units in 2003 and 2005. This was the outside and the coil--very pricey. We replaced them with high quality Carrier units, which I would guess will last longer. Since we had to move, I'll never know.

That's a good point about builder-grade units. To a builder, a quality AC unit is a waste of money. Nobody passes on a house whose AC unit works well enough to keep up with the heat during the viewing and works well enough to pass a home inspection, even if the model is prone to breaking down sooner than others. A homeowner on the other hand typically looks for a quality unit that will last a while and is as efficient as is economically reasonable.

[BstYet2Be]

.

Originally Posted by mSooner

Curious as to what the average is for Texas. Perusing homes and there is one we like that had the unit replaced in 2003...of course it depends on the condition of the unit, but I'm interested to know how many years we could expect out of one that age.

With 9 yrs and counting on the current A/C, see if you can't negotiate the replacement cost for a new unit as part of your offer - and settle for no less than half of that amount only if you have to!
.

[Johnhw2]

I understand most brands are building cheaper units these days, driven by pricing competition or being acquired by lower quality end competition. Lennox use to be a highly recommended brand as did Carrier to my understanding. I would assume a 7-10 years life when looking at a used home.