With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free cooling for many years. But, just like any other machine in your residence, it will at some point need replacement. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to prevent pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Fire & Ice HVAC 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

Typically, 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 smart to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Reliability

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the hottest days? Or is it routinely malfunctioning? When your air conditioner starts becoming less reliable it’s time to begin preparing to get an updated one.

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected for it to need a few minor 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 has a SEER rating, which measures how well it uses electricity to create 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 wears out.

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 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 added rebates.

Comfort

Are you cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An aging air conditioner could have trouble keeping your house comfy due to lower efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed continuously, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a smart method to maximize your energy efficiency, with minimal effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates provided by your utility company, you might 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 make an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and adjust 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 wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Type

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also called 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 runs on R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant style.

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 due to the fact Freon is only available in limited, recycled amounts.

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

Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding 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 build up as time passes.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Fire & Ice HVAC for air conditioning installation in Manassas and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our pros will help you select the right model 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 work with your budget.

Get in touch with us at 703-595-4157 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!