How to Know when It's Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner

Deciding whether or not it's time to replace your air conditioner with something newer can be a tough task. After all, your air conditioner is one of the biggest investments you've made in your home thus far. Here are some important factors to consider as you make your decision.

Consider Age

Time can take a toll on just about any appliance. The older your air conditioner gets, the more wear and tear it will accumulate throughout its working life. Age-related problems can make it difficult to keep an older air conditioner working past its prime.

No air conditioner is designed to las forever - even the ones lucky enough to survive for 20 years or more are bound to fail sooner or later. As long as it's well maintained, you can expect the average air conditioner to last for 15 years without encountering any serious issues. Beyond that, you can expect age-related breakdowns that result not only in longer downtimes but also in more money spent on repairs.

It's good practice to consider replacing your air conditioner once it reaches the 10-year mark. This should give you plenty of time to purchase a suitable replacement before your air conditioner reaches its 15-year anniversary.

Consider Performance

If your air conditioner continuously struggles to keep your home cool and comfortable, then it may be time to consider a replacement. Air conditioning units often experience noticeable declines in cooling performance as they age. Even regularly scheduled maintenance or repairs may not be enough to bring a unit back up to its original strength when it was first installed.

Poor performance is also an issue with air conditioners that are incorrectly sized for the task at hand. If your current unit is too big or too small to keep your home comfortable, then it may be time to replace it with one that's appropriately sized for the job.

Also keep in mind that newer air conditioners feature higher SEER ratings, making them more energy efficient than their predecessors. Stepping up from an air conditioner with a SEER rating of 10 to a unit offering a SEER rating of 14 or higher can significantly reduce your energy costs.

Consider Repair Costs

Holding onto an air conditioner for as long as possible may seem like a smart way to get the most out of your investment. But there's also a cost associated with keeping an older air conditioning unit past its prime. A typical air conditioner repair can cost anywhere from a few hundred bucks to several thousand dollars, depending on the type of repair and the amount of labor required.

It's no secret that older air conditioners require repairs more frequently, and these repairs can also be time consuming and costly in terms of labor. Parts that are obsolete or difficult to find can easily result in a more expensive repair. For instance, recharging an air conditioner that relies on R-22 refrigerant could prove prohibitively expensive due to dwindling supplies.

By multiplying the quoted cost of your air conditioner's repair by the age of the unit, you can easily figure out whether or not your current air conditioner is still worth repairing. If the result exceeds the cost of purchasing and installing a brand-new air conditioner, then you're better off buying that new unit.

Consider Upgrades

Today's air conditioners feature a broad range of improvements and advancements that make them quieter and more efficient than older models. These features include electronically commutated motor (ECM) technology, allowing for quieter blower fans with variable speed control. While some of these technologies can be retrofitted on your existing unit, you won't get the maximum benefit you'd receive with a completely brand-new unit.

Don't hesitate to contact the professionals at Parks Davis Air Conditioning & Heating if you think it's time to replace your air conditioning system. We can help you choose and install the unit that best fits your home's cooling needs.