With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free cooling for a long time. But, like any other appliance in your residence, it will ultimately need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interrupted comfort.

When it comes to being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our HCE Systems professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are a few points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Typically, 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 recommended to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Dependability

How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the toastiest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner is less dependable it’s time to begin thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s expected 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 recommended to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which ranks how proficiently it consumes electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are usually costlier but may pay for themselves over their life span through more energy savings. And installing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for additional rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is running? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An aging air conditioner may have trouble keeping your home comfy due to decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed all the time, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, call us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a smart method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort needed from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you might be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for very little. Most of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and adjust temperatures as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Type

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also called R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has 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 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 soon, think over 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 add up over time.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with HCE Systems for air conditioning installation in Norton and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our technicians will help you find 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 accommodate your budget.

Get in touch with us at 276-302-0076 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!