Package Unit Life Spans

[cooldude_9999]

I'm trying to compare Gas/Electric Package Unit savings for single stage vs 2 stage/variable speed and different SEERs, but this is difficult without knowing how long the package unit will last.
I'm in humid Chesapeake, Virginia and not exposed to any extreme conditions (salty air, exposed to direct sun all day, etc.). What is a good average estimate of life span? 12 years..15?

Also, when comparing a simple Goodman single stage package unit to 2 stage A/C & heat and variable speed Yorks/Tranes, is there more risk to breakdowns due to the more complicated systems with more parts? This may also factor into my decision. Thanks for your help guys!!

[marvin]

i dont know about the eastern part of the country, but here in the
desert i still have rtu's that we installed in the 60's that are still
in good condition. not effecient but do a good job cooling & heating.

[beenthere]

@ stage has little bearing on life span/break downs.

Seen a lot of single standard blower RTUs that barely made it 10 years. And a fair number that didn't make it to 10 years.

A bad install can kill any brand or model real quick.

[WhoIsThat?]

Originally Posted by cooldude_9999

is there more risk to breakdowns due to the more complicated systems with more parts?

Yes, unless the parts are arranged in parallel to give redundancy. I can't imagine a consumer product that does this, though.
Even gas valve controls probably don't have this redundancy feature.

From another thread on this forum:
12 to 15 years for high end heat pumps,
7 to 10 years for builders grade heat pumps. Ocean front, 1 to 7 rears depending on brand and grade.

gas furnace 56 YO, HE (stainless) still in good shape,
AC is close to 35 YO, still the original compressor.

If you get 10 years out of air cooled equipment of any kind. You're doing well.

Midwest, we get 15-20 years out of a furnace and
20-30 out of an A/C,
20-50 out of a hot water boiler,
about 20 out of a cast iron steamer.

13 years HP,
15 to 18 for straight A/C,
18 to 20 gas and oil furnaces,
25 to 30 for gas and oil boilers.

Average is 12years for a heatpump, and
20for a straight A/C..

If you have t'storms get a surge suppressor for your HVAC control board.

[bmathews]

I haven't seen many last more than 10 years. Most less than that. Most of the ones I work on are on commercial applications. Very few residential. Commercial are generally going to have reactive maintenance rather than preventative, very poor filter maintenance and subjected to voltage fluctuations and generally run into the ground. If I were to put anything in, it would be heat pump. I wouldn't go gas. It's outside and there is too much in the gas system to go wrong with bugs and other critters living in and around them.

[aintitfun]

10-15 is all you can hope for

[chadakaira]

Think of it like a dog, 1 to 5 yrs pup, 5 to 10 years dog, 10 to 15 years (with proper maintinence) old dog, 15 to 20 years Asisted living, 20 plus years either dead or no longer worth a crap.

[WhoIsThat?]

xxxxxxx

[WhoIsThat?]

"physical life
The potential service life of an asset before it physically becomes unable to produce a good or service. An asset is often physically able to continue operating but at a cost or rate that renders it economically obsolete. The economic life, as opposed to the physical life, is most important in valuing the asset.

economic life
The period of time during which a fixed asset competitively produces a good or service of value. The economic life of an asset may be particularly short in a rapidly changing field such as electronics where new developments often render an asset obsolete shortly after it is purchased."

[Jster2020]

Get a new one. The stimulus plan in effect will give you a 30% tax credit up to $1500 for an air to air unit. Take advantage of it.

[Jster2020]

Also at that oint it's less efficient, blah blah blah etcetera etcetera.

[cooldude_9999]

yeah...I'm hoping for at least 15 years. (I like the dog analogy, lol)

[superheatbob]

The national average for all systems is 17.4 years

The national average for homeowners is that they will buy a system 1.8 times in their lifetime.