At Midwest Mechanical , we love helping our customers find ways to both improve their home comfort AND save money! One of the ways we accomplish this is by helping homeowners understand exactly how upgrading your HVAC equipment can help greatly reduce your monthly energy bills. Not only that, newer HVAC systems often have more modern features like smart home integration, improved design, and more!
How Old is Your HVAC System?
When was the last time you had your furnace or air conditioner replaced? Even if your current HVAC equipment is working fine, it may be costing you a lot more money to keep than you realize. HVAC systems have greatly improved in design, functionality, and energy efficiency over the last few decades – resulting in greater performance, improved comfort, and lower costs to run when compared with systems of old!
Think about it like a car. If you have an old truck that gets 10mpg and you upgrade to an electric vehicle, how much in gas would you save per month? The same is true with your home heating and air conditioning systems! You might be relying on an old “gas-guzzler” of a furnace, or an air conditioner that just isn’t giving you the comfort and efficiency you deserve.
What Makes Modern HVAC Systems More Efficient?
Let’s put it this way: The average SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) for an air conditioner was around 9-10 about 20 years ago. SEER is just a formula that calculates how much energy the system needs to cool your home. Nowadays, the minimum SEER rating is 14 – and that number will continue to increase over time. There are even some systems that are rated above 20, and into the 30 SEER range for specific ductless models!
Furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, and ductless mini-split technology have all made leaps and bounds over the last few decades. Heat exchanger improvements, variable-speed compressors, and other design upgrades make for a much more efficient system. Just like with SEER ratings for air conditioners, furnaces have seen AFUE ratings (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) trend upwards from the 50-70% range up into the 80-98% range!
Should I Get a New HVAC System?
We understand that the cost of a new system is something homeowners have to consider. After all, savings in the future don’t necessarily mean savings today – especially when you’re looking at the price tag for newer models. We recommend having a conversation with one of our Midwest Mechanical experts to assess your current HVAC equipment so we can make recommendations that make sense for you and your budget!
One thing to consider when looking at newer HVAC systems is that there are plenty of federal, state, and utility incentives available for energy-efficient home upgrades. Another is that the average kilowatt per hour rate in Kansas is about 14¢/kWh, so upgrading an older, lower SEER-rated AC system can result in hundreds of dollars a year, and thousands of dollars over time! Even getting a 14 SEER-rated AC system can be a significant upgrade over an old 9 or 10 SEER system, so you don’t have to reach for the most expensive equipment to enjoy a lot of savings!
What should I consider when upgrading my HVAC equipment?
- Age and condition of current HVAC system
- Performance and cost to run of current HVAC system
- Cost of new HVAC system
- Estimated energy savings of newer systems
- Available tax rebates and incentives for HVAC upgrades
Interested in an HVAC Upgrade?
If your current HVAC system is getting up there in age or just not keeping you comfortable, it’s definitely time to take a look at what modern HVAC technology and efficiency can provide! To make it even easier for our customers, we’re available to offer 25-month deferred interest financing on approved credit! Not only that, our valued Maintenance Membership customers can receive additional benefits on new equipment as well as lots of other perks and discounts for allowing us to maintain their systems.
We’re proud to serve our customers in Wichita and the surrounding areas. If you’d like to learn more about an HVAC equipment upgrade, contact our Midwest Mechanical team today!