With ample service, your air conditioner will provide worry-free performance for a long time. But, like any other thing in your home, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to get a new one is important to prevent costly repairs, costly utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.
When it includes keeping cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning professionals have your best interests at the forefront. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are a few things you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.
Age
In most instances, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s smart to start planning for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.
Reliability
How dependable is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the hottest days? Or is it frequently needing repairs? When your air conditioner starts becoming less trustworthy it’s time to get started considering getting an upgraded one.
Repair Costs
Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need a handful of minor repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just get a new one.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which measures how proficiently it consumes electricity to make chilled air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER to meet federal rules. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.
As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, 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 time through improved energy savings. And purchasing 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 on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner could struggle to keep your home cool due to decreased efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling on high all the time, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s similar to a regular conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Getting a smart thermostat is a smart way to stay on top of energy efficiency, with minimal effort needed from you. And, depending on the rebates provided by your utility company, you could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. 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 change temps as necessary.
If you rely on an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.
Refrigerant Type
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. Also called R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made because of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by checking 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 experiences a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be costly. That’s since Freon is only available in limited, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just put Puron in a Freon air conditioner, since pressure requirements are different.
Our Pros 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 accumulate as time passes.
We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning installation in Winnipeg and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you find the right model 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 work with your budget.
Call us at 204-272-8128 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!