With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free service for many years. But, like any other thing in your residence, it will ultimately need to be upgraded. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to skip pricey repairs, costly electrical bills and interrupted comfort.
When it includes being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our MPC Heating & Cooling professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a few 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 the majority of air conditioners last 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 wears out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for installation.
Reliability
How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the toastiest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less trustworthy it’s time to initiate considering getting an updated one.
Repair Bills
Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s normal for it to need a few little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just replace it.
Energy Efficiency
Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it expends electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal mandates. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it gets older.
Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are typically costlier but may pay for themselves over their life span through more 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 on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner may have trouble keeping your house comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.
Noise
Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, call us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.
Smart Thermostat Compatibility
Adding a smart thermostat is a smart way to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort needed 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 a greatly reduced price. Many of these thermostats can adjust to your temperature preferences and then make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and change temperatures 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 potentially runs on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner uses R-22 by reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant type.
If your air conditioner is working 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 reduced, recycled amounts.
Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just put Puron in a Freon air conditioner, as pressure requirements are different.
Our Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free
If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, consider 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 build up over the years.
We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with MPC Heating & Cooling for air conditioning installation in Chadron and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our technicians 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 fit your budget.
Get in touch with us at 308-832-4321 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!