As a building owner superintendent or property manager it s important to understand what kind of maintenance your unit needs on a regular basis and how manufacturers define proper maintenance in regards to their units expected operating lifespans.
Life cycle for a roof top unit.
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.
Our npv methodology assumes a 15 year life for the rooftop units as listed in 2015 ashrae applications table 4.
At 15 years new equipment was added to continue the calculation to the 30 year mark.
If a roof doesn t last the desired 20 years the owner is likely to incur higher than average maintenance costs and towards the end of the roof s life also major renovation costs.
A roof system s actual life span can vary depending on the local environment.
The lifespan typically ranges from 5 to 20 years.
The rooftop unit comparison calculator rtucc compares high efficiency rooftop air conditioners to standard equipment in terms of life cycle cost.
The average premium black asphalt roof has an average life span of 14 years with the average life of a premium white roof is greater than 20 years.
Physical damage walking on it hail tree limbs etc thermal shock.
The moment the roof is installed it begins to age.
Normal aging consists of.
In the south uv rays are more intense and can break down roofing material quicker than in northern locations.
Heat of the sun.
Commercial residential and rooftop hvac units all have an expected useful life.
The caveat is that those lifespan numbers always include the phrase with proper maintenance.