With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free performance for many years. But, similar to any other thing in your residence, it will ultimately need to be replaced. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to prevent pricey repairs, higher energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it includes being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Central Heating & Plumbing specialists 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 points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s wise to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a new one.

Reliability

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely malfunctioning? When your air conditioner is less dependable it’s time to start preparing to get an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need a handful of little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s wiser to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it uses electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER to meet federal mandates. 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 bigger SEER ratings are typically costlier but might 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 added rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is running? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner may struggle to keep your residence comfy due to decreased efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed continuously, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should provide cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, ask us about getting 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

Getting a smart thermostat is a good approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with minimal effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates provided by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for very little. Many of these thermostats can pick up on your temperature preferences and then make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or gone and change settings as necessary.

If you use an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a smart method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also called 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 uses R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be costly. 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 put Puron in a Freon air conditioner, since pressure requirements are different.

Our Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free

If you’re still debating whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner soon, consider this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can lead to 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really build up as time goes by.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why partnering with Central Heating & Plumbing for air conditioning installation in New Castle and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our professionals will help you select the right model for your needs and then go over 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.

Get in touch with us at 724-401-1843 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!