With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free performance for many years. But, like any other thing in your home, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is important to skip pricey repairs, expensive electrical bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it includes being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Air Concepts of Middle Georgia specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s wise to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for installation.

Trustworthiness

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

Repair Expenses

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which measures how proficiently it expends electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER according to federal mandates. However, your air conditioner loses efficiency as it wears out.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are typically costlier but could pay for themselves over the years 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 comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An older air conditioner may have problems keeping your residence comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed all the time, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adapt your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a good way 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 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 adjust temps as necessary.

If you have an aging air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Style

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 uses 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 experiences a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be expensive. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Techs Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still trying to decide 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 add up over the years.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with Air Concepts of Middle Georgia for air conditioning installation in Milledgeville and Middle Georgia and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our professionals will help you find 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 fit your budget.

Get in touch with us at 478-200-5689 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!