With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for a long time. But, like any other appliance in your residence, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is important to avoid expensive repairs, costly energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.
When it includes being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a couple of 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 midpoint. It’s wise to get started planning for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Trustworthiness
How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the toastiest days? Or is it regularly needing repairs? When your air conditioner becomes less trustworthy it’s time to begin thinking about getting an upgraded one.
Repair Costs
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need a handful of minor 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 proficiently it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it gets older.
Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are often pricier but may pay for themselves over time through improved energy savings. And getting 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 on? Or are you often turning down the temperature to stay cool? An aging air conditioner might have problems keeping your house cool due to decreased efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running on high constantly, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, ask us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s comparable to an everyday conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with minimal effort needed 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 not much. Many 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 out and about and alter settings as needed.
If you have an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a smart way to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Kind
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely relies on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant style.
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 due to the fact Freon is only available in decreased, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners use Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just use Puron in a Freon air conditioner, because 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, think about this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can provide 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really accumulate as time goes by.
We know that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why working with Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc for air conditioning installation in South Beloit and Belvidere and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our professionals 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 fit your budget.
Reach us at 877-389-2465 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!