With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for many years. But, like any other machine in your home, it will eventually need to be upgraded. Knowing when to replace it is essential to avoid pricey repairs, expensive electrical bills and comfort disruptions.

When it includes being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Parker County Cooling & Heating pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

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

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 is less dependable it’s time to initiate considering getting an updated one.

Repair Costs

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s expected for it to need a handful of 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 install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which ranks how well it consumes electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER to meet federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it wears out.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, 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 the years through improved 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 running? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An old air conditioner may have trouble keeping your house comfy due to reduced efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should provide cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, call us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s similar to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a smart way 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 a greatly reduced price. Many 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 out and about and adjust temperatures as necessary.

If you have an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your 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 known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of its bad 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 include the refrigerant type.

If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be pricey. That’s since Freon is only available in decreased, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just add Puron in a Freon air conditioner, as pressure requirements are different.

Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

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 lead to 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really add up as time goes by.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with Parker County Cooling & Heating for air conditioning installation in Weatherford and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our professionals will help you select the right option 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 accommodate your budget.

Call us at 817-380-5213 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!