With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will provide worry-free cooling for a long time. But, like any other appliance in your residence, it will ultimately need to be upgraded. Knowing when to replace it is essential to avoid pricey repairs, costly energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it comes to being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into determining when your air conditioner should be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about replacing your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Typically, 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 get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out 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 warmest days? Or is it frequently malfunctioning? When your air conditioner is less reliable it’s time to begin preparing to get an updated one.

Repair Expenses

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s expected for it to need a handful of small repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the price of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which measures how well 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 rules. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it gets older.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are usually costlier but might pay for themselves over time 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 working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An aging air conditioner may struggle to keep your house comfy due to lower efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed continuously, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should give cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is a concern, check with us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners operate at a sound level that’s similar to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a wise approach to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort needed from you. And, depending on the rebates provided 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 learn from your temperature preferences and then develop an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or out and about and alter temps as necessary.

If you have an aging air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Getting a new air conditioner is a wise method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Type

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially runs on Freon®. Also called R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being produced because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner runs on R-22 by checking the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant style.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, fixing the problem will be pricey. That’s since 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 Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Easy

If you’re still deciding 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 provide 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really add up over time.

We know that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why working with Kirkfield Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning installation in Winnipeg and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our technicians will help you find the right solution 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 fit your budget.

Reach us at 204-272-8128 to request your free, no-pressure estimate now!