HVAC System 20 Years Old, Time to Proactively Replace??

[3930dave]

One of my friends decided to be proactive in 2003 and replaced all his 12 year old kitchen appliances... gave the old ones to me for hauling them away.... and I put them in a rental and so far no problems... he has not been so lucky... problems with the new cooktop, stove and dishwasher

There is good parallel story (well, scam) with household appliances. Many of my (real-world) friends have been through the same "upgrade" process, with the same regrets. There are many threads, just on TBN here, about the same "New Improved" appliance problems.

I chat with the son every once in a while, who has taken over his Dad's appliance repair business near here. He is very busy, with new products. The failure rate is high enough that many (4 or 5 ?) 3rd party companies that offered extended warranties here have just given up and declared bankruptcy.

By now, OP is now part of the choir here , so I'll stop preaching....

Well, for today at least

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

At one apartment I managed the tenants "Qualified" for free upgrades.

The new gas stoves have been OK... no standing pilot.

Two of the new refrigerators have failed in less than 5 years.

The replacement florescent fixtures for incandescent now result in service calls... before it was simple enough for a tenant to screw in a light bulb... well most tenants said in all honesty.

Now with the circle line and G35 bulbs each time a light bulb goes out we get a call... the tenants refuse to spend the $8 to $20 cost of the replacement bulb.

I lot of what is happening is nothing more than cost shifting.

Mom has a average daily kWh use of 12 year round... she loves her 1980 Ammana Refrigerator and has been approached several times about getting a free replacement... each time I remind her of the problems I have had with the free replacements.

 

[kenmac]

"Efficiency" gains.... gotta love 'em. Most of the efficiency gains have been in emptying our bank-accounts with capital-equipment expenditures. Equipment costs aside (oligopolies anyone ?), skilled labour costs/truck rolls keep going up every year.

Same on the AC side..... coil wall thickness is down, pressures are way up, as is compressor rpms. Kaaaccchhhing ! :greedy: if you are an HVAC contractor....

Rgds, D.

Kaaaaaccchhhing LOL . My liability insurance was always going up, my workers comp always went up, equipment always going up, vehicle maintenance always going up,refrigerant always going up,cost of keeping state certifications, permits, business licenses in every town you work in in addition to state & county licenses,,etc,etc,.
I don't know how to put a price of rising cost of headaches that went with owning a business .. So no, kaaaacching was not here ! :laughing:
Glad I sold and retired. Now I can:cool2::dance1:

 

[Cat_Driver]

I replaced mine with a high efficiency unit and cut my bill in half. Will pay for itself in two years

 

[3930dave]

Kaaaaaccchhhing LOL . My liability insurance was always going up, my workers comp always went up, equipment always going up, vehicle maintenance always going up,refrigerant always going up,cost of keeping state certifications, permits, business licenses in every town you work in in addition to state & county licenses,,etc,etc,.
I don't know how to put a price of rising cost of headaches that went with owning a business .. So no, kaaaacching was not here ! :laughing:
Glad I sold and retired. Now I can:cool2::dance1:

Govts love the rising taxes they get every year. Other than that, yep, pretty much everybody else is getting "serviced".

Rgds, D.