With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for many years. But, like any other thing in your residence, it will at some point need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is essential to prevent costly repairs, expensive utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.
When it comes to staying cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our B & B Heating & Cooling specialists are looking out for your best interests. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
Typically, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s wise to get started prepping for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Reliability
How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the hottest days? Or is it frequently breaking down? When your air conditioner is less dependable it’s time to begin preparing to get a new one.
Repair Costs
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s normal 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 wiser to just replace it.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it uses electricity to create cooling. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient 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 bigger SEER ratings are often costlier but might pay for themselves over time 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 added rebates.
Comfort
Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is on? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner might struggle to keep your home comfy because of reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full blast all the time, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adapt your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, check with us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s similar to an everyday conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding a smart thermostat is a good approach to keep up with energy efficiency, with very little effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. Most of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and alter settings accordingly.
If you have an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a smart method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Style
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being produced as a result of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant kind.
If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be expensive. That’s because Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners use Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just add Puron in a Freon air conditioner, because pressure requirements are different.
Our Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy
If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, think over 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 over the years.
We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with B & B Heating & Cooling for air conditioning installation in Florissant and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you find the right option for your needs and then go over 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 314-325-7552 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!