With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free service for years. But, like any other thing in your residence, it will ultimately need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is important to prevent pricey repairs, higher electrical bills and interrupted comfort.

When it includes being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Custom Air Systems Inc pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a few points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Typically, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s smart to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for installation.

Trustworthiness

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected for it to need a handful of minor repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s wiser to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

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

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are typically costlier 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 extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is running? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An old air conditioner could struggle to keep your home comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed continuously, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a smart 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 a greatly reduced price. Most 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 out and about and adjust temps as necessary.

If you use an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Style

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 made because of its damaging 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 kind.

If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be pricey. That’s because Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, think about 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 passes.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why collaborating with Custom Air Systems Inc for air conditioning installation in Port St. Lucie and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our professionals will help you choose the right solution 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.

Get in touch with us at 772-247-2283 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!