With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for years. But, like any other appliance in your house, it will eventually need to be upgraded. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent costly repairs, higher energy bills and interrupted comfort.
When it comes to being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our GV Heating & Air professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are several aspects you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
Most of the time, the Department of Energy says the majority of air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s recommended to begin planning for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Reliability
How dependable is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely breaking down? When your air conditioner becomes less dependable it’s time to start thinking about getting a new one.
Repair Expenses
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need several little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just install a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it expends electricity to make chilled air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal rules. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.
Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are usually costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span through more energy savings. And purchasing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for extra rebates.
Comfort
Are you comfy when your air conditioner is running? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner might have trouble keeping your house comfortable because of reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed constantly, 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 bothering you, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s like an everyday conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Getting a smart thermostat is a smart method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates available 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 develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and change temperatures as necessary.
If you use an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Type
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured as a result of its negative 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 type.
If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be costly. That’s since Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just use Puron in a Freon air conditioner, because pressure requirements are different.
Our Professionals 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 add up over time.
We are aware that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why partnering with GV Heating & Air for air conditioning installation in Crystal and Twin Cities 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 763-535-2000 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!