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

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Brookwood Inc professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a few points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading 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 wise to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a new one.

Dependability

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

Repair Expenses

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which measures how well it consumes electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER to meet federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it gets older.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, 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 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 additional rebates.

Comfort

Are you cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner may struggle to keep your residence comfy as a result of lower efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of operating at full speed all the time, these air conditioners run 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 getting a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners run 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 available from 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 pick up on your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or out and about and adjust settings as necessary.

If you rely on an aging 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 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 include the refrigerant style.

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

Newer air conditioners have 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 Stress-Free

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, consider this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can result in 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 partnering with Brookwood Inc for air conditioning installation in Newton and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs will help you choose the right model 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 641-316-9803 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!