With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for a long time. But, just like any other appliance in your house, it will at some point need replacement. Knowing when to install a new one is essential to avoid pricey repairs, costly energy bills and comfort disruptions.

When it includes being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our All Weather Heating & Air Conditioning Inc pros 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 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 the majority of air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s smart to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Reliability

How dependable is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the warmest days? Or is it regularly malfunctioning? When your air conditioner is less trustworthy it’s time to start thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s life span, it’s normal for it to need several little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how proficiently it expends electricity to make cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are usually costlier but could 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 extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is running? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An aging air conditioner could struggle to keep your residence comfy as a result of lower efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, check with us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s similar to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a good method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates available from your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. Many 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. Getting a new air conditioner is a wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made 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 working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be costly. That’s because Freon is only available in decreased, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners have Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just use Puron in a Freon air conditioner, as pressure requirements are different.

Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, think about 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 accumulate over time.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why working with All Weather Heating & Air Conditioning Inc for air conditioning installation in Huntsville and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our techs will help you select the right solution 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 fit your budget.

Call us at 256-801-4701 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!