AL-2496 (RP 186) -- Equipment Life and Maintenance Cost Survey PDF

Equipment Service Life and Maintenance Cost are required inputs for performance of a life-cycle cost analysis. Yet, these figures are not readily available and confusion exists with respect to their exact definitions.

Chapter 44 of the current Systems Volume of the ASHRAE Handbook and Product Directory is devoted to owning and operating costs, incorporating procedures and tables necessary for economic analysis of HVAC systems and components.

The current Table 3 in Chapter 44 presents the "Minimum Depreciation Period" for equipment, and is largely based on IRS depreciation periods. As such, the data presented in Table 3 is not necessarily representative of the actual equipment life experiences. Additionally, a proper life-cycle cost analysis requires maintenance cost information, which is not presently included in Chapter 44.