With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for many years. But, similar to any other machine in your house, it will at some point need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent pricey repairs, costly electrical bills and comfort disruptions.
When it includes staying cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Pliescott HVAC Services LLC professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
In most instances, the Department of Energy says the majority of air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s smart to get started planning for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a new one.
Reliability
How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the toastiest days? Or is it regularly breaking down? When your air conditioner starts becoming less dependable it’s time to start preparing to get an upgraded one.
Repair Costs
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s normal for it to need a few little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just get a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it expends electricity to create cooling. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it wears out.
Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, 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 their life span through increased energy savings. And getting an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for added rebates.
Comfort
Are you comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often switching the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner may struggle to keep your house cool as a result of decreased efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed all the time, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, call us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s similar to an everyday conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Getting a smart thermostat is a good way to keep up with energy efficiency, with not much effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates provided by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for a greatly reduced price. Most of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or out and about and change temperatures accordingly.
If you rely on an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a smart approach to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Style
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely uses Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured due to its negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant type.
If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be costly. That’s since Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners have Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just add Puron in a Freon air conditioner, as pressure requirements are different.
Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free
If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner soon, think over this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can lead to 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really accumulate over the years.
We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Pliescott HVAC Services LLC for air conditioning installation in Cambridge and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our professionals will help you find the right model for your needs and then discuss all the possibilities. These include special offers to help you save more and financing for qualified customers to make your new air conditioner accommodate your budget.
Call us at 410-228-4822 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!