With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for a long time. But, like any other thing in your house, it will ultimately need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is important to avoid pricey repairs, costly electrical bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it includes being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Rescue Heating & Air pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a few 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 work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s recommended to start 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 reliably, even on the hottest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner becomes less reliable it’s time to begin considering getting an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need a handful of small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which measures how proficiently it consumes electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are usually costlier but might pay for themselves over time through increased 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 comfortable when your air conditioner is working? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An aging air conditioner may struggle to keep your residence comfy due to lower efficiency. A modern 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 adapt your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a wise way 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 very little. Most of these thermostats can pick up on 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 potentially 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 looking at 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, fixing the problem will be expensive. That’s since 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, since pressure requirements are different.

Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

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 provide 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really accumulate over time.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why working with Rescue Heating & Air for air conditioning installation in Alice and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our professionals will help you select 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.

Reach us at 361-265-4371 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!