With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for years. But, like any other appliance in your home, it will at some point need to be replaced. Knowing when to replace it is key to skip pricey repairs, higher energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

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

Age

Most of the time, the Department of Energy says most air conditioners last for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the center point. It’s recommended to start preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for installation.

Trustworthiness

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

Repair Costs

Over your air conditioner’s lifetime, it’s anticipated for it to need several little repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just get a new one.

Energy Efficiency

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

Now, 15–18 SEER is a popular number, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are typically costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span through improved energy savings. And getting an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for additional rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is working? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An older air conditioner might struggle to keep your home comfy due to lower efficiency. A new 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 operate at multiple speeds to adapt your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Getting a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much effort required 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. Most of these thermostats can learn from your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or away and alter temperatures as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Kind

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 damaging effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner has R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is working fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever develops a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be costly. That’s since Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Professionals Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner soon, 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 add up over the years.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with West Michigan Heating & Air Conditioning Services for air conditioning installation in Hudsonville and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros will help you select the right solution 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 accommodate your budget.

Reach us at (616) 319-1436 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!