How Long Does It Take To Replace An Air Conditioning Unit?

Air Conditioning has become an integral part of the modern everyday lifestyle. It is hard to think of a place where we do not see an air conditioner unit used. The malls, movie theatres, offices, at homes, AC units are present everywhere. However, we often tend to overlook the need for continual and proper maintenance (and repairs, if needed) for these AC units.

If you take all the units that are present in each city across the globe it adds up to an obscene number – arguably the biggest reason why the HVAC Industry has seen its biggest growth since its inception. On the topic of maintenance and repairs, a common question that crops up is, “What is the amount of time necessary to have an AC unit replaced?”

Now, even though the customer will always want the repairs done in the least possible time, while done at the highest level, several factors impact the time that will be required to replace your AC unit. So let’s take a look at the things involved in installing a brand new unit and the factors affecting how long it takes for a total AC replacement.

Time Required For Installation

Once you’re done with selecting the AC unit you want you can move on to the actual installation of the unit. The first thing that you must take into account before you start trying to install a new AC unit is the size of your home. The installation time will also depend on how accessible the storage space for your internal AC components is. Quality of all your ductwork, the dimensions of your AC unit, and all other factors taken into account the installation of an AC unit should take anywhere between four hours to eight hours, on average.

The Type Of Repairs You Need

The first factor that will greatly affect the amount of time that you need to have your AC unit replaced is its location in your home. The first step you have to take in this situation is to deduce the type of AC repairs that you need. In case you are on a strict budget, you must ensure that you only try to replace one segment of the AC unit. Making an effort to replace the entire AC system will be extremely expensive and take up a huge amount of time. However, on the flip side, that will ensure that you will not require any repairs for a long time.

Dimensions Of Your Home

At the time of replacing your AC unit, there is a chance that you might also need to have the ductwork replaced and the new vents installed. The larger the size of your house, the more amount of work will be required, thus pushing the deadline back even further. Also, the conditions that your vents and ducts are in will play a part in how long the AC unit replacement takes. Dust can easily clog up the airways and mold can keep growing in dark passages and block them up. This will add to your schedule since the ducts must also be cleared first before the AC unit can be replaced. Having to repair the whole duct system will also make the entire replacement process a whole lot more expensive. However, it is always a prudent decision to get an improvement on all of the components, if it’s affordable.

Where Your Home Is Located

You also need to consider your home’s location when you are trying to calculate how long it is going to take you to replace your AC unit. Repair crews find it a lot easier to access townhouses or family homes, making the whole process a lot quicker. High-rises are a lot harder to access and thus repair and/or replacement crew(s) will require a lot longer to complete the replacement.

Calculating The Time For Replacing An AC Unit

The problem is that, since there are a multitude of factors that affect the total time necessary for replacement, it’s virtually impossible to figure out an exact time limit. Just putting an AC unit in for the first time can take up to eight hours, on average. During a replacement, you have the whole process of taking out the previous unit and rechecking the entire system for any faults. Only when every component is in pristine working condition can the new unit be installed. You have to be flexible enough to roll with the ups and downs and accept that there will be variables like availability and budget at play.

The only thing to be sure of is that the simpler the repair, the less it will cost (both time and money) you to get the replacement done. For example, in case your AC unit is outside the walls of your home, and thus easily accessible, the whole replacement could take less than 24 hours. However, if there is a need for upgrading your ductwork along with the entire system, it will cost a lot more time. Accessibility issues, dust and dirt clogging, passageways blocked by mold, etc., tend to complicate things.

In The End

Since it is arguably impossible to get an exact calculation of the time you will need to replace your old AC unit with a new one, what you can aim for is collecting all the information you can about the factors that may affect your replacement process. Spend more time doing diligent research and find out as much as you can about the type of work that you need to be done, the exact measurements of your home, and the state of all the components of your system. Make sure that you hire professionals to do the job.

In case the work does not meet the necessary standards, you will have to do the whole thing again, basically doubling the time and money you have to spend. Contact professionals beforehand to find out what is easily accessible for them, whether your home location has any advantages, how much it may cost, whether they provide discounts, and the type of service they provide. Once you have all the information in front of you, make a schedule and stick to it to the best of your ability.

Can I Replace My Furnace Without Replacing My AC?

Do you have problems with your furnace? Do you have problems finding whether your furnace needs replacement or not? Are you confused about whether to replace your air conditioning along with the furnace or not?

These are the questions that plague many customers that have HVAC systems installed. The fact remains that heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are very sophisticated and intricate in their design, parts, and components. Therefore one must ascertain the need for the parts, repairs and replacements.

Repair Or Replace?

Furnaces, like any other component of the HVAC system, suffer depreciation. There are wear-and-tear problems that reduce the efficiency of the furnace.

The first consideration while encountering such a problem related to the furnace is whether to repair or replace it.

Many issues can be dealt with by an HVAC maintenance team. Repairing a furnace takes less time, money, and labor than replacing the furnace. Let us consider all the situations that require the furnace to get repaired.

Changing the Filters:

Sometimes, a dirty filter causes many issues in the furnace. Due to dirt, the filters get clogged, which reduces the free flow of air. This increases the pressure on the fan motor. This leads to the motor getting burn-out. The burning out of the motor leads to an increase in the electricity bills. Therefore, it is advisable to change the filters in 2-3 months regularly.

Inspect the Thermostat:

In many cases, the furnace might not be the actual problem. It would help if you inspect the thermostat. Some of these are battery-run. If the thermostat has a low-battery, it may interrupt its efficient working.

Inspect the Circuit Breaker:

If the furnace is not getting turned on, then one must look at the circuit breaker. Sometimes the furnace circuit is not in the same direction as the rest of the circuits. Therefore, one must try to flip it off and then turn it back on.

Issues With The Pilot Light:

The older furnaces have a pilot light. If the light is out, then the furnace does not work. You may relight it on your own or call a professional HVAC team to fix it.

If, after proper inspection and fixes, the issue is not solved, then you may have to replace the furnace. The following are the cases where the only solution is to replace your furnace:

When your furnace has crossed 15 years

The average lifespan of furnaces is about 15-30 years. That does not mean that you have to stick to your old furnace for 30 years. Often, a furnace that is over 15 years old becomes less efficient and has some issues consistently. Rather than spending tons of money on repairing the old furnace, you may buy a new one. This would be a more prudent approach to solving your furnace issue.

When you see a consistent rise in Electricity Bills

Furnaces, as they get older, tend to burn-out. This makes the furnace work harder. As a result, electricity bills rise. Then, it is appropriate to replace the furnace and bring down the electricity costs.

When it becomes too noisy

Soft noise from the furnace can be expected. But any loud hissing, humming, popping, or screeching noise needs to be checked. The louder the noise, the more they need a furnace replacement.

Are You Replacing Furnace And AC Together?

Many salespersons may advise you to replace the air conditioning unit along with the furnace. But this might not be a prudent solution for you. There are a lot of factors to be considered before arriving at such a decision.

Sometimes, when you change one component and introduce the new part with the HVAC system, the system as a whole may suffer and not work optimally. Mismatched parts and components can create many problems like:

Reducing the System’s Lifespan

When some parts are introduced in the air conditioning system, the new mismatched furnace may lead to more issues than it intended to solve. The overall efficacy and functionality of the HVAC system are compromised. This may cause more problems and warrant more repairs in the future.

Causing Inefficiencies

When the furnace is replaced without replacing the entire air-conditioning unit, and the new furnace is incompatible with the HVAC system, the entire system suffers from reduced efficiency. The air conditioning is less effective. This defeats the whole purpose of the replacement.

Doubling the costs

When incompatible parts of the HVAC system work with lesser efficiency, one must pay for two installations. Firstly, the furnace installation in the immediate time frame. The other one is the air conditioning system’s installation costs incurred in the future due to the parts incompatibility and the issues arising thereof.

However, replacing the AC and furnace together might not be a plausible solution in the following cases.

If the AC is new:

Suppose you have moved places and the furnace in your new home is ten years old. However, only a few years ago, you purchased your air conditioning system. You may replace your furnace without replacing your AC since the furnace may have irregularities in its functioning while the AC is perfectly well.

Checking the air conditioner when the furnace is being replaced:

When the furnace is replaced with a new one, one must check the evaporator and coils of the air conditioning system to determine whether it is functioning well or if there are some leakages. If the air conditioning system is working efficiently, then you may replace the furnace without replacing the air conditioning unit. However, if there are some issues like leakages etc., one must have an HVAC team inspect and let them replace the furnace and the air conditioning system together. This will save on the future costs of repairs and replacements.

Conclusion

To sum up, when you have to replace the furnace and your air conditioning unit, you must consider the factors like parts mismatch, the lifespan of the furnace and the AC system, and future repair costs, among others, to come to a definite conclusion. Replacing the furnace and the air conditioning system is an expensive affair; therefore, one must take a prudent decision by doing a thorough cost-benefit analysis.

Tag: AC replacement