With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for many years. But, like any other appliance in your residence, it will ultimately need to be updated. Knowing when to replace it is key to prevent pricey repairs, expensive electrical bills and interrupted comfort.

When it involves being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Willco Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Inc. 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 couple of 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 last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s wise to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a new one.

Dependability

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 begin considering getting an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s normal for it to need several small 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 has a SEER rating, which ranks how well it uses electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER to meet federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient 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 higher SEER ratings are often costlier but may pay for themselves over the years through more energy savings. And purchasing 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 working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner could have trouble keeping your home comfy as a result of lower 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 constantly, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, 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 minimal effort necessary 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 a greatly reduced price. Most 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 change temps as necessary.

If you use an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new 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 referred to 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 uses R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant type.

If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be costly. That’s because Freon is only available in decreased, 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 Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, 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 add up over the years.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Willco Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Inc. for air conditioning installation in Branchville and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs will help you choose the right model 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.

Get in touch with us at 862-345-6896 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!