24 years is impressive, especially in an older home. Did you notice any warning signs before it quit, or did it just suddenly stop working one day? Curious if regular check-ups actually help catch these things early...
Mine made it to about 22 yrs, and honestly it gave little hints—uneven cooling, weird noises here and there—but nothing huge. Regular check-ups did catch minor stuff early, probably bought me some extra time. Have you noticed anything off with yours yet?
"uneven cooling, weird noises here and there—but nothing huge."
Yeah, mine's hitting 19 yrs and starting to do that weird humming thing occasionally... Did you ever find regular maintenance actually improved efficiency, or just kept it alive longer?
"Did you ever find regular maintenance actually improved efficiency, or just kept it alive longer?"
In my experience, regular maintenance mostly just keeps things running longer without major breakdowns. Had an HVAC pushing 18 yrs and started getting those random humming noises too—turned out to be a worn fan motor. After a quick replacement, airflow improved noticeably. Efficiency bump was minor though; honestly, at that age you're probably just buying extra time rather than performance upgrades. Still beats shelling out for a full replacement...
I'm in the same boat—my HVAC hit 22 years last summer. Regular maintenance definitely kept it alive, but efficiency-wise, I didn't notice much difference. Had a tech out when it started cycling weirdly, and he swapped out a capacitor. Ran smoother afterward, but bills stayed about the same. Like you said:
"honestly, at that age you're probably just buying extra time rather than performance upgrades."
Still, cheaper than a whole new system...I'll ride it out til it quits.
