With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free cooling for a long time. But, similar to any other thing in your residence, it will ultimately need to be replaced. Knowing when to get a new one is important to prevent pricey repairs, expensive energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it includes being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Paniccia Heating & Cooling specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are a couple of 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 many air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s smart to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Dependability

How reliable is your air conditioner? Does it cool reliably, even on the hottest days? Or is it regularly malfunctioning? When your air conditioner is less dependable it’s time to begin thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Expenses

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which rates how efficiently it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER per federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it gets older.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are typically costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span 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 comfortable when your air conditioner is on? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner could have problems keeping your house comfy because of lower efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed all the time, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is annoying you, check with 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 good method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort needed 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 a greatly reduced price. The majority 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 away and change settings as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely runs on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being produced because of its negative 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 type.

If your air conditioner is running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be expensive. That’s since 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 Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still debating whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, 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 build up over time.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Paniccia Heating & Cooling for air conditioning installation in Michigan City and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our techs will help you select the right solution 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 219-872-2198 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!