With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free cooling for many years. But, like any other appliance in your home, it will ultimately need to be upgraded. Knowing when to get a new one is important to skip pricey repairs, higher energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our North Mechanical Heating and Cooling professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a few points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners work for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s wise to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for installation.

Dependability

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

Repair Expenses

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

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner has a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it uses electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER per federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with bigger SEER ratings are often costlier but could pay for themselves over time through increased 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 cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to remain cool? An old air conditioner might have problems keeping your house comfy due to decreased efficiency. A new air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can minimize high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed all the time, these air conditioners work at multiple speeds to adapt 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. 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 good method to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates offered by your utility company, you may be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for a greatly reduced price. 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 temperatures as necessary.

If you rely on an outdated air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Type

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 checking 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 develops a refrigerant leak, solving the problem will be costly. That’s due to the fact Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners run on Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just put Puron in a Freon air conditioner, since pressure requirements are different.

Our Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Hassle-Free

If you’re still trying to decide 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 build up over the years.

We know that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why partnering with North Mechanical Heating and Cooling for air conditioning installation in Payson and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs will help you select the right option 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 work with your budget.

Call us at 928-263-8570 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!