With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for years. But, similar to any other thing in your home, it will eventually need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip pricey repairs, higher utility bills and interrupted comfort.
When it involves being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
In most instances, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s smart to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for installation.
Reliability
How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the warmest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less dependable it’s time to begin thinking about getting an updated one.
Repair Costs
Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s anticipated for it to need several minor repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just install a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal rules. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.
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 typically costlier but could pay for themselves over time through improved energy savings. And purchasing 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 continuously dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An older air conditioner may have problems keeping your house comfy due to reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed all the time, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to fine-tune 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. Many of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Installing a smart thermostat is a wise approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with minimal 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. 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 change temperatures as necessary.
If you use an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Type
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also called R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of 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 show the refrigerant style.
If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be pricey. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in reduced, 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 Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free
If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner soon, 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 as time passes.
We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with Kohles & Bach Heating & Cooling for air conditioning installation in Des Moines and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our professionals will help you choose the right option for your needs and then discuss 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!