With ample maintenance, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free service for a long time. But, similar to any other machine in your residence, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to install a new one is essential to skip costly repairs, costly electrical bills and interrupted comfort.
When it includes being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a couple of things you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading 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 begin planning for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a new one.
Reliability
How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the hottest days? Or is it regularly needing repairs? When your air conditioner becomes less dependable it’s time to start preparing to get a new one.
Repair Bills
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need several minor 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 rates how efficiently it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER according to federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.
As of 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 often pricier but may pay for themselves over the years through increased 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 working? Or are you continuously turning down the temperature to remain cool? An old air conditioner may have trouble keeping your residence comfortable as a result of reduced efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full blast continuously, 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, call us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s like a normal conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Installing a smart thermostat is a wise approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for very little. 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 gone and adjust settings as needed.
If you rely on an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a wise approach 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 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 style.
If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be pricey. 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, because pressure requirements are different.
Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free
If you’re still debating whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner soon, think about 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 build over the years.
We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why partnering with Evenaire Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning installation in Pflugerville and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our techs will help you find 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 512-355-1482 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!