With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for many years. But, like any other thing in your home, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent pricey repairs, higher electrical bills and interrupted comfort.

When it comes to being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Custom Air Systems Inc specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining 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

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 smart to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a new one.

Trustworthiness

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the warmest days? Or is it regularly malfunctioning? When your air conditioner is less trustworthy it’s time to initiate thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s anticipated for it to need a handful of little 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 has a SEER rating, which measures how proficiently it uses electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal laws. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it wears out.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are usually costlier but could pay for themselves over time through more energy savings. And purchasing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is on? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An old air conditioner could have trouble keeping your home comfy as a result of reduced efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed constantly, these air conditioners run 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. Most 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 good approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort needed 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 not much. Many of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or out and about and change temps as necessary.

If you rely on an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a smart 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 produced because of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner uses R-22 by reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will include the refrigerant style.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be costly. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still trying to decide whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner soon, 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 passes.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why partnering with Custom Air Systems Inc for air conditioning installation in Port St. Lucie and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our technicians will help you select the right option 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 772-247-2283 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!