What’s the general life expectancy of a mid-level quality
roof, furnace, ac ? Any idea as to aproximate replacement cost?
These are very general guidelines:
A decent shingle roof should last 15 to 20 years. Replacement cost will vary wildly depending on size of the house, type of shingles, area labor costs, time of year, etc. Anything other than an estimate from your area would be a WAG.
Furnaces and AC units should last 10 to 15 years. Replacement cost here vary depending on what needs to be replaced - AC outside unit only, coil only, unit and coil, furnace only, all of the above, etc. as well as the size of the house and local labor rates.
Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise. I just replaced an outside AC unit and coil at my house. The old ones were installed in the 60’s, so they lasted ~40 years. I have some friends who were/are in the business. One happened to have a 3 ton AC unit he didn’t need and another had a matching coil. Net cost to me - about $30 and a few hours of my time.
Check the length of the warranty, then assume it will last about 1.5 times longer.
Also your A/C may last slightly longer in Pittsburgh and your furnace slightly less, given the climate. A/C units here in Florida sometimes get replaced in about five years because of the heavy load for up to eight months of the year (in central Florida). Of course no one even has a furnace, just usually a heat pump or something like that. (slight exageration)
Our boiler is the original and is going on its 26th year. Have it checked every year or two to make sure everything is functioning and it should last you quite some time. Water heaters aren’t as tough. Ten years, maybe?
Keep tabs on your roof with periodic inspections to replace missing shingles and to nail down loose items. Should last 20 or 30 years.
It sounds like you’re considering buying a place. Have the inspector check out all systems, or hire someone to analyze it for you. If you don’t know the installation date of the equipment or component, assume the worst.
Factors such as the pitch of the roof and the quality of the shingles will affect this. I have a friend with a roof that’s 38 years old and in fine shape - but the pitch is really steep and the shingles are at least half again as thick as cheap ones.
My next roof will be raised-seam metal. These have an enviable track record in the northeast. The extra cost is more than repaid by the extra life.
And I concur that 30 years is certainly possible for a decent furnace, provided it gets a modicum of TLC.
The other thing with furnaces is the trade off of replacement cost versus efficiency. You might get a new furnace for $1-2k, which might save you $20-50 month during the winter if you’re going from low efficiency, 80% or less, to new, higher efficiency (90-95%). Depends on your fuel costs, amount of use, etc. On the other, other hand, January-February in Pittsburgh during the middle of a blizzard is not the time to learn you need to replace your furnace. If it might need replacing try and negotiate the replacement cost into the house price.
I’ve got a Weil-Mclain boiler. When I bought my house, I found the service records on a clipboard along side. Since that time, I have never missed a yearly service on this boiler. It still comes in at 85 to 87 percent efficiency every year. My house was built in 1956.
You have a Cadillac, but I seriously doubt it is the original for a home built in the 50’s. My first home was in Levittown, and the York boiler died around '88 so it was a touch over 30 years old. I replaced it with a Weil-McLain. Boilers of 80% and better didn’t hit the market until the mid '80s, IIRC.
My parents put one of these on our house years before I was born, probably in the 30s – when we left that house in 1992, it was still in fine shape, and seemed to be in good condition when we drove by that house last spring. Recommendations: “tar” (asphalt paint-on caulking) the seams; then paint the whole thing with a silvered roof paint, renewing this every ten years or so. The combination of the excellent durability, the seam protection, and the paint protecting the whole thing from degradation, will mean you will effectively never have to replace the roof, short of a disaster physically destroying it.
I beg to differ on the originality of my boiler. The only owner before me was the original builder who sold me the house. I have the original bill from the plumbing company that installed it. My last cleaning and inspection in May of this year showed an E rating of 85 1/2.