If you have been working with us for a while, you know we are constantly reminding you to perform preventative maintenance on your heating, cooling and plumbing systems to make them last longer. Things like putting distilled water in the maintenance battery for your backup sump pump, changing your furnace filters, draining your water heater, etc.
Performing these tasks will make these systems last longer, but they will not live forever. While there is no hard and fast rule as to how long your systems will last, here are some rules of thumb you can apply.
Sump Pumps – 5-7 years
Backup Sump Pump Batteries – 3-5 years
Backup Sump Pump Systems – 8-10 years
Water Heaters – 15 years
Garbage Disposals – 10 years
Air Conditioners – 15 years
Furnaces – 15 years
Boilers – 20-40 years
We would advise you to keep track of when you bought these systems. When they begin to come to the end of their expected life, it might make sense for you to consider replacing them. You certainly don’t want to find out your sump pump stopped working by walking into a flooded basement, or have your furnace die when it is 20 below zero.