If you live in a home that was built 5-10 years ago, you are learning more about the home components that were installed every day. While your home style, design, and most electrical/technical components should still be relevant and properly functioning 5+ years after the home has been built, the same may not be the case for your HVAC system.
DID YOU KNOW? Many contractors that build homes will put what they call a ‘Builder’s Grade’ furnace and air conditioner into the home.
What Is Builder’s Grade HVAC?
A builder’s grade furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump is typically one of the cheapest, least efficient (and least reliable) HVAC equipment that is available to the contractor. This equipment, made from a variety of lesser-known brands, is composed of low-grade materials.
Because so much time, effort, and budget is utilized for ‘more prominent’ areas of the home, such as kitchens, bathrooms, etc., the HVAC system is often overlooked as an important decision when planning the build. To save on budget, the quality and reliability of the home heating and cooling system is frequently sacrificed and a builder’s grade HVAC system is installed.
How Long Does Builder’s Grade Equipment Last?
When you have builder’s grade HVAC equipment installed in your home, it’s very likely that you may start experiencing issues with the A/C or furnace much sooner than you may expect. Many builder’s grade systems will only operate for 8-10 years if installed properly. Furthermore, if the quality of the system installation was not top-notch, the system could even see issues in the first 5-6 years of use.
What Should You Consider About HVAC When Building A Home?
Although Logan Services does not install HVAC in new construction applications, we still feel that it is important to share the advice we’ve learned from so many others: do not sacrifice the quality of the HVAC system when building a new home. While it may seem like a fairly safe decision and a way to save on the budget, it is likely to cost you more in the long run than it would to put in a quality brand, high-efficiency system.
What To Expect If You Already Have Builder’s Grade HVAC
If you’ve already been handed a builder’s grade heating and cooling system in your home, consider the age of that system and any issues you’ve already experienced and begin to plan for replacement. While there are some systems that perform for 10+ years if installed correctly, it could be costing you on your utility usage due to the low-quality of parts and low efficiencies.
A new, high-efficiency HVAC system manufactured by a reliable brand, like Trane, could save you more down the road in decreased utility usage and all-around better home comfort and peace-of-mind.
No matter what type of heating/cooling system you have in your home, your local HVAC experts at Logan A/C & Heat Services are here to help you. Whether you are in need of routine HVAC maintenance, a furnace or A/C repair, or you are looking to replace your home heating/cooling system altogether, call on our fast, friendly team to help!
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