With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free performance for a long time. But, like any other thing in your house, it will ultimately need to be upgraded. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip pricey repairs, expensive energy bills and comfort disruptions.

When it includes being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Tri City Fuel & Heating professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Typically, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s wise to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Trustworthiness

How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the toastiest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less dependable it’s time to start considering getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s life span, it’s normal for it to need several little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which rates how proficiently 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 inefficient as it wears out.

Today, 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 might 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 older air conditioner might have trouble keeping your residence comfy because of decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed all the time, these air conditioners operate 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 operate at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a good method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required 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 very little. The majority of these thermostats can pick up on 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 temperatures as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being produced because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be costly. 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 Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free

If you’re still trying to decide 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 accumulate over time.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why collaborating with Tri City Fuel & Heating for air conditioning installation in West Columbia and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you find 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.

Reach us at 803-265-4208 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!