Assuming you do everything in your power to keep your heat pump in good shape, you can expect it to last quite a while. Nothing lasts forever, though, and eventually you will need to replace it. If your heat pump is getting close to the end of its life, it’s a good idea to replace it now. You don’t want to have the system break down on you in the middle of the hottest season of the year. Have a look at the following signs that you probably need a new heat pump.
Spikes in Monthly Costs
If your monthly operating costs for your heat pump start spiking beyond what makes sense for added usage, it might mean that you need to replace your system. As a heat pump gets older, it will start to accumulate more and more wear on its various parts. This will begin to negatively affect its efficiency, forcing it to operate for longer periods of time in order to continue cooling the home properly. There is no way to reverse this process once it starts happening. You can slow down the loss of efficiency with professional maintenance, but that’s little more than a stopgap measure at that point. It is better to replace the entire system.
Frequent Repairs
It is no big deal if you need to repair your heat pump every few years or so. This is a common occurrence. Older heat pumps have enough wear and tear on their various parts, however, that they will often start to have those parts break down in rapid succession. If you need to repair your heat pump that often, it’s far more cost-effective in the long run to just replace the entire thing. Continuing to replace your current heat pump one part at a time will accomplish nothing other than wasting a lot of money and frustrating you to no end.
Old Age
Heat pumps do have a natural lifespan, of sorts, amounting to around 10 to 15 years. That might move a couple of years in either direction, depending on individual circumstances and how well you take care of it. However, you can rest assured that once your system reaches that age range it will start to develop issues like those we listed above. Again, you can pour more money and effort into keeping it up and running if you want. But any additional time that you buy is time that the system will still not perform as well as a new one. If you are not sure whether or not it’s a good idea to replace your heat pump, consult with a professional first. They will be able to evaluate your system, and tell you if it’s worth installing an entirely new system.
Sunset Air provides a full range of heat pump replacement services in Olympia, WA. If you need to have a new heat pump installed in your home, we can help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our expert technicians.
