With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free performance for years. But, like any other appliance in your house, it will ultimately need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is key to skip pricey repairs, costly utility bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Phelps Heating & Cooling, Inc. 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 replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

In most instances, the Department of Energy says the majority of air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s recommended to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a new one.

Reliability

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s normal for it to need a few minor repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how proficiently it consumes electricity to make cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it ages.

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are usually costlier but could pay for themselves over the years 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 comfy when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner might have problems keeping your residence comfy due to decreased efficiency. A modern 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 adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should deliver cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, call us about getting a variable-speed air conditioner. Most 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 good method 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. The majority of these thermostats can pick up on your temperature preferences and then make 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 have an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Kind

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably runs on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of its negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner uses R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant style.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has 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 add 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 within the immediate future, 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 accumulate as time goes by.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why collaborating with Phelps Heating & Cooling, Inc. for air conditioning installation in Hodgenville and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our pros will help you select 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.

Get in touch with us at 270-358-3167 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!