With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free service for years. But, similar to any other thing in your home, it will at some point need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is essential to avoid pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Rescue Heating & Air specialists 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 upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says the majority of air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s wise to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for installation.

Dependability

How dependable is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely malfunctioning? When your air conditioner becomes less dependable it’s time to start thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected 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 recommended to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how well 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 guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it wears out.

Today, 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 costlier but may pay for themselves over time through improved energy savings. And getting an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for additional rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner may have problems keeping your residence comfy because of decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed continuously, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, check with us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a smart approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for a greatly reduced price. Many of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and alter temperatures as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely runs on Freon®. Also referred to 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 has R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is running 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 use 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 Stress-Free

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, 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 add up as time goes by.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Rescue Heating & Air for air conditioning installation in Alice and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our pros will help you find 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 work with your budget.

Get in touch with us at 361-265-4371 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!