Should I Replace My 15-Year-Old Air Conditioner?

With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free cooling for many years. But, like any other machine in your home, it will ultimately need to be replaced. Knowing when to get a new one is important to prevent pricey repairs, costly utility bills and comfort disruptions.

When it comes to being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our HCE Systems pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says the majority of air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s smart to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Trustworthiness

How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the hottest days? Or is it regularly malfunctioning? When your air conditioner becomes less reliable it’s time to start considering getting an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected for it to need a few little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which measures how efficiently it consumes electricity to create 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 inefficient as it gets older.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are usually costlier but could pay for themselves over the years 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 extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner might have trouble keeping your residence comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed all the time, 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 bothering you, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners run 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 very little effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates available from your utility company, you might be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. The majority 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 out and about and adjust temperatures as necessary.

If you have an aging 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 Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of its negative 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 type.

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 since 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, as pressure requirements are different.

Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

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 result in 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really add up as time goes by.

We know that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why partnering with HCE Systems for air conditioning installation in Norton and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you choose 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 accommodate your budget.

Call us at 276-302-0076 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!