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See
What's Being Said
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Study of
Life Expectancy of Home Components
Frequently we are
asked to provide some estimate of how long a given home
component (appliances, structural elements, etc.) will
last. That is often a crystal ball exercise for a specific
air conditioner, furnace, water heater, etc. There is
however some published data that provides insight into
what is considered nominal and could help a homeowner
understand what should be expected of a component. The
National Association of Home Builders released a study,
sponsored by Bank of America Home Equity, in February
2007 entitled "Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components".
The document is 19 pages and in case you don't care to
review the complete report, we will summarize some key
findings below.
The report does not define "life expectancy"
outright so perhaps some explanation is of value here.
Defining the term begs additional discussion about concepts
such as operation cycles, operational time, cost of ownership,
mean time between failure, environmental exposure and
the like. Suffice it to say, for purposes of applying
the NAHB report data, accept that "life expectancy"
is simply the average time a given component performs
its role in the house before being replaced. It does not
mean that the component has completely failed, but rather
that some determination has been made that it should be
replaced. This decision could have been based on high
cost of operation, high cost to maintain, low cost to
replace (ex. new technology) or simply that it is no longer
"in style". Neither does life expectancy mean
that the component has never failed or needed repair.
Maintenance and repair of house components DURING THIER
SERVICE LIFE are normal aspects to home ownership.
How might you
use this data? Here are a few considerations:
• Any components
in your home that are older than the average life expectancy
shown for that item are possibly near the end of their service
life. To avoid a surprise failure, have them serviced by
an expert and get an assessment.
• If you must
replace a component, consider whether it provided at least
the nominal service life. If so, you can take some comfort
in the fact that your investment provided satisfactory return.
If not, question why. Explore in detail with the repair
technician the nature of the failure. Get a second opinion
before replacing the component if you aren't satisfied with
the answers.
• Keep in
mind that appliances are mechanical devices. They WILL fail
and WILL eventually need to be replaced. It is not a question
of IF but rather WHEN. If replacement is suggested before
the average service life times, consider repair over replacement
provided the economics make sense.
• Consider
the big picture. If you have multiple premature replacements,
that could be an indicator of a broader issue. Perhaps the
appliances where sub-standard quality in the beginning...
or the installations were poor. Consider your use of the
appliances. Perhaps you are a heavier-than- normal user.
If so, lean toward higher quality / grade replacements.
Lastly, take stock of your maintenance approach. Were the
appliances serviced regularly and by competent technicians?
Failure to maintain components properly is generally a tradeoff
for shortened service life.
• If you sell
or buy a home, use these service life numbers to assess
some likely issues will be for you. The components in your
home that are near the end of their service life may be
a concern for a buyer. When possible, use maintenance records
to defuse such issues. Likewise, as a buyer, question your
inspector and the owner about the age of various house components.
Determine which, if any, are at the end of their service
life. Factor the cost of replacing these components into
your investment. Ask the seller for maintenance records
on key components.
Life Expectancies
Here are some
excerpted average life expectancies from the NAHB report.
| APPLIANCE |
LIFE
IN YEARS |
| Compactors |
6 |
| Dehumidifiers |
8 |
| Humidifiers |
8 |
| Flooring,
carpet |
8-10 |
Dishwashers
|
9 |
| Microwave
ovens |
9 |
| Refrigerators,
compact |
9 |
| Exhaust
fans |
10 |
| Washers |
10 |
| Water
heaters, gas |
10 |
| Air
conditioners, room |
10 |
Air
conditioner, roof
|
15 |
| Garage
door openers |
10-15 |
| Wood
decks (southern U.S.) |
10-15 |
| Freezers |
11 |
| Water
heaters, electric |
11 |
| Disposers,
food waste |
12 |
| Dryers,
electric |
13 |
| Ranges,
electric |
13 |
| Refrigerators,
standard |
13 |
| Boilers,
electric 13 |
13 |
| Range/oven
hoods |
14 |
| Ranges,
gas |
15 |
| Air
conditioners, unitary |
15 |
| Furnaces,
warm air, electric |
15 |
| Heat
pumps |
16 |
| Furnaces,
warm air, gas |
18 |
| Furnaces,
warm air, oil |
20 |
Roofing,
asphalt shingles
|
20 |
| Roofing,
tile / slate |
50 |
| Roofing,
built up |
12-20 |
| Plumbing,
concrete waste pipe |
50-100 |
| Plumbing,
cast iron waste pipe |
50-100 |
| Plumbing,
plastic waste line |
Life
of home |
| Plumbing,
galvanized supply |
50 |
| Plumbing,
copper supply |
80 |
| Plumbing,
faucets |
10-15 |
| Boilers,
gas |
21 |
| Flooring,
engineered wood |
50 |
| Flooring,
all wood |
50 |
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Notes:
• The subject NAHB report is the result of a
survey of manufacturers, trade associations and researchers.
It is NOT a survey of homeowners and their experiences.
• The report does not attempt to correlate results
with quality of the materials or installation. One
must assume that these numbers are averages across
all THE quality alternatives of a given component.
• The report and this summary should be used
as a general guideline only. None of the information
should be interpreted as a representation, warranty
or guarantee regarding the life expectancy or performance
of any individual product or product line.
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All
Pro Home Inspections provides service in all of Maricopa and the
northern portion of Pinal Counties including the following cities:
Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Paradise
Valley, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria, Anthem, Apache Junction, Fountain
Hills, Avondale, Awhatukee, Litchfield Park, Buckeye, Queen Creek,
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El Mirage, New River, Wittmann, Gold Canyon, Tolleson, San Tan
Valley, Laveen, Sun Lakes, Youngtown, Arrowhead, Higley, Moon
Valley, Deer Valley, and Rio Verde.
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