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

When it involves being cool and your home’s energy efficiency, our Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

In most instances, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s recommended to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for installation.

Trustworthiness

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

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected for it to need several little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s wiser to just get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which rates 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 mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it ages.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are often costlier but could 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 added rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner could have problems keeping your house comfy because of reduced efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed constantly, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Installing a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you might be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. The majority of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and alter temps 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 wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by reviewing 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 has a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be expensive. That’s since Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding 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 add up as time goes by.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating for air conditioning installation in Pella and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs will help you find the right option 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.

Reach us at 641-628-3621 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!