With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for years. But, like any other appliance in your home, it will eventually need to be upgraded. Knowing when to get a new one is essential to skip pricey repairs, costly energy bills and interrupted comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Interstate Heating & Air Conditioning specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a couple of points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s smart to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Trustworthiness

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool dependably, even on the toastiest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner becomes less dependable it’s time to initiate thinking about getting an updated one.

Repair Costs

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it expends electricity to make cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be a minimum of 13 SEER according to federal guidelines. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, 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 purchasing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is on? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An aging air conditioner might have problems keeping your home comfy because of decreased 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 constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give 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 comparable to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a smart method to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort required from you. And, depending on the rebates available from your utility company, you might be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for very little. The majority of these thermostats can pick up on your temperature preferences and then develop 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. Installing a new air conditioner is a smart 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 manufactured because of its bad effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on 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, repairing the problem will be pricey. That’s since Freon is only available in limited, 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 Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner now, think about 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 build up as time goes by.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Interstate Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning installation in Omaha and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our technicians will help you choose the right option for your needs and then discuss all the possibilities. These include special offers to help you save more and financing for qualified customers to make your new air conditioner work with your budget.

Get in touch with us at 402-509-5940 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!