Replacing Your Heat & AC at the Same Time? Read this.

There's no doubt that you'll have to fork over a lot more money if you want to replace your furnace and air conditioner at the same time, but that’s not the only cost consideration you have to make. For starters, the furnace could set you back an average of $3,500, and an air conditioner will be at least $1,000. Beyond that, there are also installation fees to consider, because the cost to install two appliances will be substantially higher than the cost to put in just one.

Even though you'll have to pay more upfront to replace two units at once, this could be the right choice if retirement is on the horizon and you'll be moving to a fixed income before long.

It’s always easier to budget for large purchases when you have more disposable income and steady money coming in.

The age of your appliances is always something you should consider when upgrading, but the lifespans of these two units are quite different.

You can expect an air conditioner to run well for between 15 and 20 years, but a furnace could keep on plugging away for 20 to 30 years.

Just because one unit is on its way out doesn’t mean the other needs to be replaced yet. For instance, if your air conditioner is reaching the end of its life, but your furnace still has another 15 years in it.

If so, then you'll probably want to stick with your current furnace. If, on the other hand, you're replacing either of the units and the other is getting up in age as well, then it might be wise to replace both.

Although installation fees will be higher to replace two units at once, there are two situations in particular when this can actually be the most cost-effective choice.

The first scenario is if you live far from the HVAC technician who will perform the installation, because the farther the tech has to travel to get to a job site, the higher the labor cost will be. For instance, if you live in a rural area outside Rogers, AR, the cost of installation will be higher than if you lived right in the city.

Similarly, if your air conditioner and furnace are difficult to access, then replacing both at the same time will save the technician time and effort, and in the end, this will save you money.

Whether you replace just one or both units at the same time will depend on a variety of factors, and if you want to make sure you have all the information, then call an HVAC technician and schedule an inspection. The tech will consider all these factors and more, and make a customized recommendation for you.

You should consider all of these factors when deciding whether to replace just your air conditioner or furnace or both, and that includes your budget, the age of the appliances, the difficulty of the job, and your future work plans. But regardless of whether you choose to replace one or both units, make sure you call a qualified HVAC technician for a proper installation.