With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free service for many years. But, just like any other thing in your home, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent pricey repairs, higher energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc 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 upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s smart to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a new one.

Trustworthiness

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 reliable it’s time to begin thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Costs

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need several minor repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s recommended to just install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which ranks 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 to meet federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are often costlier but may 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 running? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An aging air conditioner might struggle to keep your home comfy as a result of lower efficiency. A modern air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed constantly, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Getting a smart thermostat is a wise approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort needed 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 very little. Most 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 gone and change temps as necessary.

If you rely on an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your 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 known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being made 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 style.

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

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

Our Pros Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still trying to decide whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, think over 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 over the years.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Rapids Sheet Metal Works Inc for air conditioning installation in Wisconsin Rapids and surrounding areas is stress-free and affordable. Our technicians will help you select the right model for your needs and then review 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.

Call us at 715-301-0256 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!