With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free cooling for a long time. But, similar to any other thing in your home, it will eventually need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is important to skip pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it includes being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our West Jefferson Plumbing and Heating, Inc. pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

In most instances, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s recommended to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for installation.

Trustworthiness

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the toastiest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less trustworthy it’s time to initiate thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated 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 get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which measures how efficiently it uses electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it gets older.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are often 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 added rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An older air conditioner may have trouble keeping your residence comfy due to reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed continuously, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, call us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. The majority 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 away and change temperatures as necessary.

If you have an aging air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also known as 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 reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant style.

If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be pricey. That’s because Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Professionals 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 build up over the years.

We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why partnering with West Jefferson Plumbing and Heating, Inc. for air conditioning installation in West Jefferson and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our techs will help you find 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 work with your budget.

Call us at 614-879-9091 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!