With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for many years. But, just like any other thing in your residence, it will eventually need to be updated. Knowing when to install a new one is important to skip pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interrupted comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Home Comfort Heating & Air pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding 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 begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Reliability

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

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected for it to need a few 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 replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which measures how proficiently it consumes electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER to meet federal mandates. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it gets older.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are often costlier but could pay for themselves over time through increased energy savings. And purchasing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner might struggle to keep your residence comfy due to lower efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed all the time, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a wise approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates available from your utility company, you could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for a greatly reduced price. Many 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 temperatures as necessary.

If you have an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also called 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 checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant style.

If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be pricey. 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, because pressure requirements are different.

Our Techs 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 result in 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really build up as time goes by.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with Home Comfort Heating & Air for air conditioning installation in Elk River and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our technicians 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.

Call us at 763-276-0617 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!