With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for many years. But, like any other thing in your home, it will at some point need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is key to skip pricey repairs, expensive electrical bills and comfort disruptions.

When it involves being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our AC Sales specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s smart to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a new one.

Dependability

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s expected for it to need several small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which ranks how well it uses electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal mandates. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it gets older.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are often costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span through improved energy savings. And getting 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 working? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An older air conditioner could have trouble keeping your home comfy because of lower efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce 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 deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, ask us about installing 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 good approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort necessary 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. Many of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and alter settings as necessary.

If you have an outdated 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 likely runs on Freon®. Also referred to 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 looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant style.

If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be costly. That’s since 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, since pressure requirements are different.

Our Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free

If you’re still debating whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, think over this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can provide 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really build up over the years.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why partnering with AC Sales for air conditioning installation in Lafayette and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you select the right option 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 (337) 234-2345 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!