hvac - Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. This term applies to both to the heating and cooling industry.
Btu - British thermal unit. This is the amount of heat that will raise or lower the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Btuh - British thermal units per hour. A measurement of heat transfer rate.
Watt - A unit of electrical power.
Kilowatt - One thousand Watts.
KWh - Kilowatt-hour. A unit of electrical energy equal to the work done by one kilowatt acting for one hour.

Should I Repair or Replace Old Equipment?
Three primary factors for consideration are:
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Operating Cost
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Life Expectancy of Your Equipment
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Looking at the Total System

Operating Cost
Operating cost is a continuous and ongoing factor that should be considered. Restoring an old system will only bring it back to its original level of energy efficiency. You still will not save on your energy bills.

Even a heat pump or air conditioner that is six (6) years old, is considered grossly inefficient by today's energy efficiency standards. So are most furnaces built before 1980. You could save as much as 60% on your energy bills with new high-efficiency equipment. That\'s how and why installing a new heating and cooling system can actually pay for itself in energy savings within a relatively short time.

Life Expectancy of Your Equipment
When you're frustrated with an equipment break-down, it can be tempting to find the least expensive "quick fix" to get on with your life in relative comfort. That "quick fix" may be the least expensive now, but it may not give you the most value - or cost you the least - in the long run.

Paying for repairs to an old or inefficient system frequently just prolongs the inevitable. It\'s almost like putting a bandage on a serious injury. An older system that breaks down once is likely to break down again ... and again ? and again. That means more emergency service calls or, worse yet, the risk of damage to your home or to other components of your heating and cooling system.