With adequate service, your air conditioner will provide worry-free cooling for years. But, like any other machine in your house, it will eventually need to be updated. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip pricey repairs, higher electrical bills and comfort disruptions.
When it includes staying cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling professionals are looking out for your best interests. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are several aspects you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
Typically, 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 center point. It’s recommended to begin prepping for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t roasting 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 routinely malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less dependable it’s time to begin thinking about getting a new one.
Repair Bills
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need several small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just replace it.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which measures how well it uses electricity to produce chilled air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.
As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are usually pricier but might pay for themselves over their life span 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 on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An aging air conditioner could have problems keeping your house cool because of decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating on high all the time, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, call us about getting 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
Getting a smart thermostat is a good way to keep up with energy efficiency, with not much effort needed 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 very little. Many of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or out and about and change settings as necessary.
If you use an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a wise approach to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Type
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely runs on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being produced due to its damaging effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant type.
If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be expensive. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just put Puron in a Freon air conditioner, since pressure requirements are different.
Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free
If you’re still trying to decide 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 result in 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really build over time.
We realize that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why working with Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling for air conditioning installation in Des Moines and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our pros will help you find the right model 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.
Reach us at 515-207-6569 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!