With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for years. But, similar to any other appliance in your house, it will ultimately need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to avoid pricey repairs, costly electrical bills and comfort disruptions.

When it comes to being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling 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

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

Reliability

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

Repair Costs

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 price of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which rates how well it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER to meet federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are typically costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span 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 cool when your air conditioner is running? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner may have trouble keeping your house comfy as a result of reduced 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 constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a good method to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates available from your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for very little. Most of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or gone and change temperatures as necessary.

If you rely on an aging air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner uses R-22 by looking at 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 has a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be pricey. That’s because Freon is only available in decreased, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners have Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just add Puron in a Freon air conditioner, as pressure requirements are different.

Our Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still debating 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 result in 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really build up as time goes by.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for air conditioning installation in Greater Richmond and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs will help you select the right option for your needs and then go over 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.

Reach us at 804-302-6657 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!