With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free performance for years. But, similar to any other machine in your home, it will eventually need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to skip pricey repairs, expensive utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it includes being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Air-Right Energy Design pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner requires replacement. 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 the majority of air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s smart to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a new one.

Trustworthiness

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

Repair Costs

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s expected for it to need a handful of small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which rates how well it uses 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 loses efficiency as it ages.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are typically costlier but may pay for themselves over time through increased energy savings. And purchasing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for added rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is on? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner could struggle to keep your residence comfy due to lower efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed all the time, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, check with us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with minimal effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates available from your utility company, you might 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 gone and alter temps as necessary.

If you use an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a surefire 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 manufactured because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on 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, solving the problem will be costly. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in decreased, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners use 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 Hassle-Free

If you’re still debating whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, think about 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 over the years.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why partnering with Air-Right Energy Design for air conditioning installation in Manassas and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our technicians will help you find the right model 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 accommodate your budget.

Get in touch with us at 703-260-1148 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!