With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for years. But, similar to any other thing in your home, it will eventually need to be upgraded. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to skip pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Gee & Missler Heating & Air Conditioning pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s wise to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Trustworthiness

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

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s life span, it’s anticipated 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 wiser to just install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it expends electricity to make 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 becomes less efficient 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 bigger SEER ratings are often 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 comfortable when your air conditioner is working? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An aging air conditioner might have trouble keeping your home comfy as a result of reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed all the time, 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 a concern, call us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a smart way to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort required 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 very little. Many of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or gone and change settings as necessary.

If you have an aging air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a surefire 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 bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by looking at 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 has a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be costly. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in limited, 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 Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

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 build up as time passes.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your first question. That’s why working with Gee & Missler Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning installation in Wyandotte and surrounding areas is easy 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.

Call us at 734-284-1224 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!