With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free performance for a long time. But, like any other appliance in your house, it will eventually need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is key to prevent pricey repairs, expensive energy bills and comfort disruptions.

When it includes being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Fire & Ice HVAC specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, 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 start preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a new one.

Reliability

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life span, it’s anticipated for it to need a few little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which ranks how proficiently it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal rules. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.

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 often costlier but may pay for themselves over their life span through more 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 comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An old air conditioner might have trouble keeping your residence comfy because of 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 constantly, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to adapt your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, ask us about upgrading to 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

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

If you rely on an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Installing a new air conditioner is a smart method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also called R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made because of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant type.

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

Newer air conditioners use Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just use Puron in a Freon air conditioner, since 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 now, 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 over time.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why collaborating with Fire & Ice HVAC for air conditioning installation in Manassas and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you choose the right solution for your needs and then discuss 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.

Call us at 703-595-4157 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!