With proper maintenance, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for many years. But, like any other thing in your house, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is key to skip pricey repairs, expensive electrical bills and interruptions to your comfort.
When it comes to being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces professionals have your best interests at the forefront. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
Most of the time, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s wise to start planning for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for installation.
Dependability
How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less reliable it’s time to begin considering getting an upgraded one.
Repair Expenses
Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s anticipated for it to need several small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just install a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which measures how efficiently it consumes electricity to create cooling. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER to meet federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it wears out.
Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are often more expensive but might pay for themselves over the years through improved energy savings. And purchasing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for additional rebates.
Comfort
Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is working? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner may have trouble keeping your house comfortable due to reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should provide cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, call us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s like a normal conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding a smart thermostat is a smart approach to keep up with energy efficiency, with minimal effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates available by your utility company, you could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for a greatly reduced price. The majority of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or gone and change temps as needed.
If you use an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a wise way to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Kind
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely relies on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made due to its damaging effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant style.
If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be expensive. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in limited, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners have Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just put Puron in a Freon air conditioner, since pressure requirements are different.
Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy
If you’re still debating whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, consider this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can result in 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really accumulate as time passes.
We are aware that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why working with Jack's Heating, Cooling, Stoves & Fireplaces for air conditioning installation in Alliance and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our techs will help you find the right option for your needs and then review all the possibilities. These include special offers to help you save more and financing for qualified customers to make your new air conditioner work with your budget.
Call us at 308-321-4703 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!