With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free service for years. But, just like any other thing in your home, it will eventually need to be upgraded. Knowing when to replace it is key to avoid pricey repairs, higher utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

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

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s smart to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for installation.

Reliability

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

Repair Bills

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it expends electricity to produce 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 inefficient as it ages.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are usually costlier but might pay for themselves over time through increased energy savings. And installing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you cool when your air conditioner is on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An old air conditioner could struggle to keep your house comfy due to decreased efficiency. A modern 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 run 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, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Getting a smart thermostat is a wise method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. The majority of these thermostats can pick up on your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or gone and adjust temperatures as necessary.

If you use 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 Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably 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 looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be expensive. That’s because Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free

If you’re still trying to decide whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, 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 accumulate as time goes by.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why partnering with Gee & Missler Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning installation in Wyandotte and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs 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 734-284-1224 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!