With proper upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free cooling for years. But, similar to any other machine in your house, it will ultimately need replacement. Knowing when to replace it is important to prevent pricey repairs, expensive electrical bills and interrupted comfort.

When it comes to being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Controlled Comfort HVAC professionals have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into figuring out when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

On average, the Department of Energy says the majority of air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the halfway point. It’s wise to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it wears out so you aren’t roasting while you’re waiting for a new one.

Reliability

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s expected for it to need a handful of small 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 comes with a SEER rating, which ranks how proficiently it consumes electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at least 13 SEER to meet federal rules. However, your air conditioner becomes less efficient as it gets older.

As of 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 time 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 extra rebates.

Comfort

Are you cool when your air conditioner is working? Or are you often dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An old air conditioner may struggle to keep your home comfy as a result of lower 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 constantly, these air conditioners run at multiple speeds to adjust your comfort.

Noise

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

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Getting a smart thermostat is a smart way to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort necessary from you. And, depending on the rebates provided 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 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 settings as necessary.

If you rely on an aging 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 potentially runs on Freon®. Also known as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being manufactured because of its bad 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 running fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever has a refrigerant leak, repairing the problem will be pricey. That’s since Freon is only available in reduced, recycled amounts.

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

Our Technicians Make Air Conditioning Installation Stress-Free

If you’re still deciding whether you should replace your 15-year-old air conditioner within the immediate future, think over this. The Department of Energy says doing air conditioning replacement for a 10-year-old model can result in 25–40% in energy savings! And those savings can really accumulate as time goes by.

We are aware that air conditioner cost is your number one question. That’s why partnering with Controlled Comfort HVAC for air conditioning installation in Carpentersville and surrounding areas is easy and affordable. Our techs will help you find the right model 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 work with your budget.

Call us at 224-412-8308 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!