With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free cooling for many years. But, like any other appliance in your home, it will eventually need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is essential to prevent pricey repairs, costly energy bills and comfort disruptions.

When it includes being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Olde Towne Heating & Air specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a few points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s wise to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for installation.

Reliability

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

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s life span, it’s normal for it to need a handful of 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 comes with a SEER rating, which measures how well it expends electricity to make cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER to meet federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it ages.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are typically costlier but could pay for themselves over time 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 comfy when your air conditioner is running? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner may struggle to keep your house comfy because of reduced efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed constantly, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give 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 run at a sound level that’s similar to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Getting a smart thermostat is a smart method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort necessary 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 learn from your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and adjust settings as necessary.

If you use 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 Type

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

If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, fixing 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, since 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 lead to 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really add up over the years.

We know that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why collaborating with Olde Towne Heating & Air for air conditioning installation in Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our techs will help you select the right solution for your needs and then review 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 843-485-0967 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!