With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for a long time. But, similar to any other appliance in your home, it will ultimately need to be upgraded. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent pricey repairs, costly electrical bills and comfort disruptions.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Home Furniture, Plumbing & Heating professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating 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 halfway point. It’s smart to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Trustworthiness

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the toastiest days? Or is it routinely malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less trustworthy it’s time to start considering getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s normal for it to need a handful of little 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 has a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it uses electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it gets older.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are usually costlier but may 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 on? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner might struggle to keep your residence comfy because of lower efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed continuously, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adapt your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should provide cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, ask us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a smart way to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you might 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 gone and alter settings as necessary.

If you have an older 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 Type

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

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be pricey. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in limited, recycled amounts.

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

Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still trying to decide 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 build up as time passes.

We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Home Furniture, Plumbing & Heating for air conditioning installation in Kankakee and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our techs will help you select 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 fit your budget.

Get in touch with us at 815-933-8213 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!