With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free performance for a long time. But, similar to any other machine in your house, it will eventually need to be updated. Knowing when to replace it is essential to skip pricey repairs, higher energy bills and interrupted comfort.

When it includes being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our County Line Mechanical LLC 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 upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Most of the time, 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 start preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Dependability

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s anticipated for it to need a handful of little 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 includes a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it uses electricity to make cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER according to federal mandates. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.

Today, 15–18 SEER is a popular range, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with greater SEER ratings are often costlier but could pay for themselves over the years through more energy savings. And installing an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for additional rebates.

Comfort

Are you cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An old air conditioner might have problems keeping your residence comfy due to decreased 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 constantly, 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 bothering you, ask us about installing a variable-speed air conditioner. Many of these air conditioners cool at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a wise method to maximize your energy efficiency, with not much 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. Most of these thermostats can adjust to 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 temperatures as necessary.

If you have an older air conditioner, a smart thermostat might not work with it. Upgrading your air conditioner is a surefire method to ensure smart thermostat compatibility.

Refrigerant Type

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it potentially 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 reviewing the sticker on the outside unit, which will show the refrigerant style.

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

Newer air conditioners run on 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 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 accumulate over time.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why collaborating with County Line Mechanical LLC for air conditioning installation in Reinholds and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our technicians 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 fit your budget.

Reach us at 717-216-0846 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!