Replacement Cycle

[selfemployed]

In the early 70's many people installed AC in their homes. For the past 10 yrs. it has driven the chang-out market. Do you think the cycle is comming to an end ?

[bootlen]

Couldn't be. Lots of new homes built in the las t 10 years. Plus plenty of hacks around to keep us non-hacks busy. A full 80% of our revenue last year was fixing other's hack work.

[Steve Wiggins]

That equipment was built like a tank with well desinged duct systems. Life span was 20 yrs +. Today's installs will last 10yrs. if the customer is lucky. And just wait till 410a grabs hold....compressor failures galore.

[bootlen]

You're probably right, Wiggy. Most of the oldest systems we see are 22 to 30 yr. old GE's. Man, GE made a good piece of equipment.

[Roscoe]

Originally posted by Steve Wiggins
That equipment was built like a tank with well desinged duct systems. Life span was 20 yrs +. Today's installs will last 10yrs. if the customer is lucky. And just wait till 410a grabs hold....compressor failures galore.

kinda like automobiles,refrigerators,washers,dryers, computers,televisions,cell phones.

planned obsolesense,keeps our world turning.:D

[Paul R. Burkett]

Can you imagine the look on the HOs face when you tell him that he will have to tear down the plaster ceiling in his finished basement so that you can install the new line set? $5grand for the A-C and $2grand for the carpentry. Ouch!

[frozensolid]

Back in the seventies it was also more expensive, proportionally that is. The theory of the throw away society, make it cheap enough so you don't mind throwing it away.

Down here in Florida A/C equipment gets rode hard, and put away wet. If your within a few miles of the beach. Your lucky, if you get five years from some of the junk they sell. The people that live that close to the beach have money. They will buy a new one, rather than sweat. The cycle never ends.

[BaldLoonie]

Much of our suburb was built in the 70s. Still quite a bit of the original equipment out there. In the late 80s, things really took off so they are pushing 15 years old and worn out. Sad thing is, much of what I see in the scrap pile each week is the stuff from the 90s! So I think we'll have plenty of replacement biz with the cheapo stuff of the last 10 years.

[bb]

Originally posted by BaldLoonie
Much of our suburb was built in the 70s. Still quite a bit of the original equipment out there. In the late 80s, things really took off so they are pushing 15 years old and worn out. Sad thing is, much of what I see in the scrap pile each week is the stuff from the 90s! So I think we'll have plenty of replacement biz with the cheapo stuff of the last 10 years.

I agree. I have pulled out perfectly operating units from the 60's and 70's. It seems that the 80's was the time for the manufacturers to cut corners in the quality of the raw materials being used.

The only saving grace for furnaces of the 90's was the required re-design of them. By doing away with natural drafting furnace design , they were able to keep the low cost of raw materials and extend their lifespan. I am refering to the tubular heat exchanger of course.

The verdict is still out for the furnaces however.

[Edited by bb on 08-29-2004 at 10:00 PM]