How Many Years Until I need to Replace the _____ ?

Many new home buyers like to know how many years of use their furnace, air conditioner, roof, refrigerator, etc. have until it will need to be replaced.  I wish I could know the correct answer but anything that I tell them would be nothing more than and educated guess.
   
But, four things that I can tell my clients are 1.) whether the item works or not and the condition of the item at the time of the inspection; 2.) whether the item was installed properly; 3.) when the item was manufactured or installed; and 4.) the typical life expectancy of that item.  The actual lifespan is going to depend on many factors, including how much use (and abuse) it gets, maintenance and updates performed, the environment in the location where it is situated, and the quality of both the product and the installation. 

​How Can I make _____ Last Longer?

You can extend the life of your appliances and mechanical systems by having regular maintenance and cleaning performed by a qualified technician.  A regular maintenance schedule will not only increase the likelihood of your equipment lasting for more years but will also have it working more efficiently and save on operating costs.  Simply vacuuming all of the dust bunnies from under the refrigerator can add to the life of your appliance.
​
Product user manuals will usually include recommended maintenance and schedules.  If you don’t have a manual, or your manual doesn’t have a maintenance schedule, either can often be found with a simple web search.  

​Life Expectancy

The table to the right lists the typical life expectancy of several items in your home.  These life expectancy ranges are provided by InterNACHI.  These are not hard and fast rules – you do not need to replace your air conditioner only because it is 15 years old.  There may still be a few years of cooling left in it.  These are only some of the items in your home that may need replacing or repair in the future. 
​
Sometimes things last longer or shorter than the values in the chart depending on the use and abuse that they get.  I have had a refrigerator that was over 30 years old and still working.  I have seen a furnace that was less than 10 years old and the heat exchanger had already corroded to the point that the furnace needed to be replaced because of an error made by a contractor in replacing a chimney cap.  

​Summary

Knowing the expected life left for an appliance or item in your home can help in making decisions on whether to repair or replace when it quits working.  You can also use the life expectancy to plan and budget for future expenses.  It can be extremely helpful to be able to anticipate and save for larger expenses that come up as a part of home ownership.