With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for years. But, like any other appliance in your house, it will at some point need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is important to avoid pricey repairs, higher electrical bills and comfort disruptions.

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

Age

Typically, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s recommended to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Trustworthiness

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the warmest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less reliable it’s time to start preparing to get an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s anticipated for it to need several small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s wiser to just get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which rates how well it uses electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER to meet federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it wears out.

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 may 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 cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An older air conditioner could have trouble keeping your house comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower 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 give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, ask us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort required 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 not much. Most of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and change temps as necessary.

If you have 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 Type

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also referred to 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 runs on R-22 by checking 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 has a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be expensive. That’s since Freon is only available in decreased, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just add Puron in a Freon air conditioner, because pressure requirements are different.

Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free

If you’re still debating 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 provide 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really accumulate as time passes.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why partnering with Refrigeration Systems Ltd. for air conditioning installation in Richmond and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our professionals will help you select the right option for your needs and then review 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.

Reach us at 778-693-2532 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!