With adequate maintenance, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for many years. But, just like any other machine in your house, it will ultimately need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip pricey repairs, expensive energy bills and comfort disruptions.
When it includes keeping cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our ACE Solutions pros 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 several things you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
Typically, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s recommended to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Dependability
How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the warmest days? Or is it frequently needing repairs? When your air conditioner starts becoming less trustworthy it’s time to start preparing to get an updated one.
Repair Expenses
Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s anticipated for it to need a few 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 install a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how proficiently it expends electricity to produce cooling. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it wears out.
Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are typically more expensive but may pay for themselves over the years through increased energy savings. And getting an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for added rebates.
Comfort
Are you cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often turning down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner may have trouble keeping your house comfy because of lower efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running on high continuously, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, check with us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s like a normal conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding a smart thermostat is a wise approach to keep up with energy efficiency, with not much effort needed from you. And, depending on the rebates provided by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. Most of these thermostats can adjust to 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 rely on an aging air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your 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 bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will list 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 reduced, 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 Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free
If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, consider 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 as time goes by.
We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why partnering with ACE Solutions for air conditioning installation in Hasbrouck Heights and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our professionals will help you find 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 work with your budget.
Get in touch with us at 201-579-2562 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!