With adequate maintenance, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free cooling for a long time. But, like any other machine in your residence, it will at some point need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip costly repairs, higher electrical bills and interruptions to your comfort.
When it includes being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Wolfe & Sons Heating and Cooling specialists 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 aspects you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
On average, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s wise to begin prepping for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Reliability
How dependable is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely needing repairs? When your air conditioner is less dependable it’s time to get started thinking about getting a new one.
Repair Expenses
Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s normal for it to need a few small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s wiser to just replace it.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which rates how well it consumes electricity to create chilled air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER according to federal rules. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it wears out.
As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are usually costlier but may pay for themselves over their life span through more energy savings. And installing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for extra rebates.
Comfort
Are you cool when your air conditioner is running? Or are you continuously turning down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner might have trouble keeping your residence comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed constantly, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s comparable to a normal conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding 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 offered by your utility company, you might be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. 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 out and about and alter settings as necessary.
If you rely on an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a surefire approach 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 looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant style.
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 decreased, 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 Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy
If you’re still trying to decide 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 provide 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really add up over time.
We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why partnering with Wolfe & Sons Heating and Cooling for air conditioning installation in Columbus and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our technicians will help you choose the right solution 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.
Call us at 614-451-0846 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!