A/C and Roof Life Spans in Central Florida

[Schaumburger]

This wannabee who has lived all of her life in the Midwest would like to know what are the life spans of a well maintained A/C unit and a roof in central Florida? Thank you in advance for all information.

[biker1]

You may hear a wide range of numbers for ACs as there is a little luck involved. 15 years would be good but some last longer than that. An evaporator coil leak on a 10 year old system might result in the decision to replace the whole system.

This wannabee who has lived all of her life in the Midwest would like to know what are the life spans of a well maintained A/C unit and a roof in central Florida? Thank you in advance for all information.

[DangeloInspections]

Biker1 is correct...I'll expound a bit.

The two most common higher cost items for a central Florida home are typically the A/C unit and the roof. You are wise to preface your question with the words, "well maintained", as this is quite important to expected lifespan of both systems.

A typical A/C unit, and I am assuming you really mean an electric heat pump unit is 12-16 years or so. One should start budgeting for replacement after 10 years or so, as the typical A/C system replacement runs from around 5k to 7k. The upside to this is that usually a new unit will be more efficient. Efficiency is measured by it's SEER rating.....new units are typically 15 seer, but can go higher, of course with increasing costs. One would have to do some number crunching to see if paying more for a more efficient unit is cost effective.

Good maintenance is key, as I have seen units only last 6 years or so if not cared for properly. Although I am not usually big on extended warranties, many feel having an extended warranty on your A/C is good to have in case costly problems occur.

As to your roof, despite what some roofing manufacturers say, a typical roof here will last 15-20 years, if well kept and free of overhanging trees, moss, mold build-up, etc. Dependant on the size, a replacement roof usually costs between 6-10k to replace.

Using those timelines to budget for replacement should serve you well. Putting away $100 per month for replacement of both systems in 15 years would not be too far off. Of course, size of the home, etc, could modify that plan somewhat.

Hope that helps!

[saratogaman]

Are zinc strips recommended to prevent algae growth on roof shingles? I see a number of homes in Duval (10 years old) with algae developing but not (yet) on most.

[Bryant]

Biker1 is correct...I'll expound a bit.

The two most common higher cost items for a central Florida home are typically the A/C unit and the roof. You are wise to preface your question with the words, "well maintained", as this is quite important to expected lifespan of both systems.

A typical A/C unit, and I am assuming you really mean an electric heat pump unit is 12-16 years or so. One should start budgeting for replacement after 10 years or so, as the typical A/C system replacement runs from around 5k to 7k. The upside to this is that usually a new unit will be more efficient. Efficiency is measured by it's SEER rating.....new units are typically 15 seer, but can go higher, of course with increasing costs. One would have to do some number crunching to see if paying more for a more efficient unit is cost effective.

Good maintenance is key, as I have seen units only last 6 years or so if not cared for properly. Although I am not usually big on extended warranties, many feel having an extended warranty on your A/C is good to have in case costly problems occur.

As to your roof, despite what some roofing manufacturers say, a typical roof here will last 15-20 years, if well kept and free of overhanging trees, moss, mold build-up, etc. Dependant on the size, a replacement roof usually costs between 6-10k to replace.

Using those timelines to budget for replacement should serve you well. Putting away $100 per month for replacement of both systems in 15 years would not be too far off. Of course, size of the home, etc, could modify that plan somewhat.

Hope that helps!

I'm beginning to feel sick. My A/C and roof are originals (1999).

[2BNTV]

A/C is 18 years old. Needs to be replaced this winter. An unofficial quote of 3K for a 2B/2B patio villa. It's still working well but it's got one foot on the banana peel and one foot in the coffin.

Roof is 18 years old and I had it inspected and they said it's good for another 5 to 7 years. Got a quote for 5,350.

I'm sure larger homes will be more expensive,

[biker1]

Roofing shingles used in the south have, or should have, copper infused granules that will keep algae under control. My past experience indicates that there is a finite life to their algae killing ability. In a previous home, after about 10 years I started to see algae growth (black vertical stains) on the north facing roof. Copper strips, as high up as possible, will also do the trick but the extent of the "coverage" seems to be about 18 feet. In other words, if your roof is deeper than that you may need a second strip of copper 18 feet down from the peak. You may want to touch base with a professional roofer.

Are zinc strips recommended to prevent algae growth on roof shingles? I see a number of homes in Duval (10 years old) with algae developing but not (yet) on most.

[784caroline]

Biker1 is correct...I'll expound a bit.

The two most common higher cost items for a central Florida home are typically the A/C unit and the roof. You are wise to preface your question with the words, "well maintained", as this is quite important to expected lifespan of both systems.

A typical A/C unit, and I am assuming you really mean an electric heat pump unit is 12-16 years or so. One should start budgeting for replacement after 10 years or so, as the typical A/C system replacement runs from around 5k to 7k. The upside to this is that usually a new unit will be more efficient. Efficiency is measured by it's SEER rating.....new units are typically 15 seer, but can go higher, of course with increasing costs. One would have to do some number crunching to see if paying more for a more efficient unit is cost effective.

Good maintenance is key, as I have seen units only last 6 years or so if not cared for properly. Although I am not usually big on extended warranties, many feel having an extended warranty on your A/C is good to have in case costly problems occur.

As to your roof, despite what some roofing manufacturers say, a typical roof here will last 15-20 years, if well kept and free of overhanging trees, moss, mold build-up, etc. Dependant on the size, a replacement roof usually costs between 6-10k to replace.

Using those timelines to budget for replacement should serve you well. Putting away $100 per month for replacement of both systems in 15 years would not be too far off. Of course, size of the home, etc, could modify that plan somewhat.

Hope that helps!

Is a 3.5T AC unit (have gas heat) cheaper to replace than a 3.5T heat pump// (I assume your prices are for both inside and outside components)

What would the incremental cost be for a 3.5T unit with a 13 SEER vs 16 SEER??

Do you know the status of the Class action lawsuit filed I think in 2014 by the Attorney General against Owens Corning (Roofing Shingle Mfg) for those roofs that used defective shingles supplied by the MFG when our homes were built, but after inspection of the MFG they said all was OK. Many villagers signed up for this class action through Crimes against Seniors ?? Just Curious if the lawsuit is still being worked??

Thanks