ASHRAE is the industry organization that sets the standards and guidelines for most HVAC-R equipment. They have published a chart that lists estimated life expectancy for various HVAC equipment.
Below you can see ASHRAE chart of HVAC Equipment Life Expectancy. The chart includes a list of median life expectancy for the following types of equipment:
HVACR Equipment Life Expectancy
| Equipment Item | Median Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioners | Window unit | 10 |
| Residential single or Split Package | 15 | |
| Commercial through-the wall | 15 | |
| Water-cooled package | 15 | |
| Heat Pumps | Residential air-to-air | 15 |
| Commercial air-to-air | 15 | |
| Commercial water-to-air | 19 | |
| Roof-top air conditioners | Single-zone | 15 |
| Multi-zone | 15 | |
| Boilers, hot water (steam) | Steel water-tube | 24 (30) |
| Steel fire-tube | 25 (25) | |
| Cast iron | 35 (30) | |
| Electric | 15 | |
| Burners | 21 | |
| Furnaces | Gas- or oil-fired | 18 |
| Unit heaters | Gas or electric | 13 |
| Hot water or steam | 20 | |
| Radiant Heaters | Electric | 10 |
| Hot water or steam | 25 | |
| Air terminals | Diffusers, grilles, and registers | 27 |
| Induction and fan coil units | 20 | |
| VAV and double-duct boxes | 20 | |
| Air washers | 17 | |
| Ductwork | 30 | |
| Dampers | 20 | |
| Fans | Centrifugal | 25 |
| Axial | 20 | |
| Propeller | 15 | |
| Ventilating roof-mounted | 20 | |
| Coils | DX, water, or steam | 20 |
| Electric | 15 | |
| Heat Exchangers | Shell-and-tube | 24 |
| Reciprocating compressors | 20 | |
| Packaged chillers | Reciprocating | 20 |
| Centrifugal | 23 | |
| Absorption | 23 | |
| Cooling towers | Galvanized metal | 20 |
| Wood | 20 | |
| Ceramic | 34 | |
| Air-cooled condensers | 20 | |
| Evaporative condensers | 20 | |
| Insulation | Molded | 20 |
| Blanket | 24 | |
| Pumps | Base-mounted | 20 |
| Pipe-mounted | 10 | |
| Sump and well | 10 | |
| Condensate | 15 | |
| Reciprocating engines | 20 | |
| Steam turbines | 30 | |
| Electric motors | 18 | |
| Motor starters | 17 | |
| Electric transformers | 30 | |
| Controls | Pneumatic | 20 |
| Electric | 16 | |
| Electronic | 15 | |
| Valve actuators | Hydraulic | 15 |
| Pneumatic | 20 | |
| Self-contained | 10 | |
The table shows the median years of life expectancy of various HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) equipment. The data can be used by HVAC professionals to estimate the lifespan of the equipment they are installing, repairing, or replacing.
The data provided in the table are based on median years of life expectancy for each equipment type. This means that half of the equipment of that type is expected to last longer, and the other half is expected to last shorter than the median value. Therefore, these values should be used as a rough guideline and not as an exact estimate of the lifespan of the equipment.
It is also important to note that the lifespan of HVACR equipment can be affected by a number of factors, including the quality of installation, the frequency of maintenance, and the intensity of usage. Additionally, some equipment may require more frequent maintenance to ensure optimal performance and longevity.
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