With adequate service, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for years. But, similar to any other machine in your home, it will at some point need to be upgraded. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to skip pricey repairs, expensive energy bills and comfort disruptions.
When it includes keeping cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Miller Climate Control LLC specialists have your best interests at the forefront. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are a couple of things you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
Typically, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s smart to get started prepping for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Reliability
How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely needing repairs? When your air conditioner becomes less reliable it’s time to start thinking about getting an updated one.
Repair Costs
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 cost of a new air conditioner, it’s wiser to just get a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which measures how well it consumes electricity to make chilled air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.
Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are usually pricier but may pay for themselves over their life span through increased energy savings. And installing 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 on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An aging air conditioner could struggle to keep your house comfortable due to lower efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed continuously, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adapt your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should provide cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, ask us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding a smart thermostat is a smart method to stay on top of 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. The majority 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 out and about and adjust settings accordingly.
If you use an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a smart way to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Kind
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely runs on Freon®. Also known 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 reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant kind.
If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be costly. That’s because Freon is only available in limited, 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 Hassle-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 lead to 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 Miller Climate Control LLC for air conditioning installation in Georgetown and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our professionals will help you choose 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 512-937-2001 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!