With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for years. But, like any other thing in your residence, it will eventually need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent pricey repairs, expensive utility bills and interrupted comfort.

When it involves being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Forster Heating professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Typically, the Department of Energy says most 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 wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for installation.

Dependability

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

Repair Costs

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s expected for it to need several small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which ranks how well it expends electricity to create cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER according to federal laws. 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 higher SEER ratings are often costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span through improved energy savings. And getting an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for added rebates.

Comfort

Are you cool when your air conditioner is on? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner may have problems keeping your home comfy because of decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed continuously, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, ask us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a wise way 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 a greatly reduced price. Many 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 out and about and change temps as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured 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 kind.

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 costly. That’s since 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 Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free

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

We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with Forster Heating for air conditioning installation in Auburn and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs 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.

Call us at 530-885-8081 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!