Quote:
Originally Posted by Risuli
Obviously there is some truth in what you are saying, but "the old tried and true" has a much longer track record to judge against. If you are of the age to move to the Villages, as most all are, you have certainly experienced the change in what used to be truly "durable goods", like furnaces/AC, stoves, refrigerators, hot water tanks, washers/dryers etc. Growing up these items LASTED. Furnaces/AC could go 20+ years, stoves forever, refrigerators well over 10 years (I sold my grandparents 1940 fridge a few years back after 70 years of perfect use!). Hot water tanks routinely lasted well over 10 years; washers/dryers over 10 years as well.
Now, due to plan obsolesence, most hot water tanks have a 6 year warranty, as well as all the other appliances with a 1 year/5 year parts warranty now. And these things simply do not last HALF as long as they used to as they are no longer made to do so. Guess all I am saying is that the impression is that NEWER, for some, means less reliable.
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Good points. The construction industry is very resistant to changes. One reason is that they have been burned. Do you remember the polybutylene pipe lawsuits, and the aluminum wiring lawsuits? Houses are still constructed using 2x4 wood studs, drywall, and asphalt shingles. Personally, I can accept newer designs, but when I replace a major item in my house, I consider the impact of having something fail and the availability of replacement materials and the labor to install it. One reason that I would not buy a variable speed heat pump is that it only represents about 5 percent of the new replacement market. If it was 50 percent, I might buy one. To me, the potential benefits do not outweigh the tried and true system. I know that I can get a single stage heat pump repaired almost immediately in The Villages, which is very important when you have no air conditioning. My opinion.