With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for a long time. But, like any other thing in your home, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to get a new one is important to prevent pricey repairs, higher electrical bills and interrupted comfort.

When it includes being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Childress Heating & AC professionals 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 few points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s recommended to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Dependability

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

Repair Costs

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it uses electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal rules. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it gets older.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are usually costlier but could pay for themselves over their life span through more 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 dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An old air conditioner may have problems 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 at full speed all the time, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should provide 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 operate 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 could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for very little. Many of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or out and about and adjust settings as necessary.

If you have an outdated 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 produced because of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will list 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 costly. That’s since 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, because pressure requirements are different.

Our Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free

If you’re still deciding 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 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 first question. That’s why working with Childress Heating & AC for air conditioning installation in Fredericksburg and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs 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.

Reach us at 540-675-4306 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!