With ample upkeep, your air conditioner will deliver worry-free service for a long time. But, like any other thing in your home, it will ultimately need to be updated. Knowing when to get a new one is key to skip pricey repairs, costly energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your house’s energy efficiency, our Halverson Brothers Inc specialists have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner needs to be replaced. Here are several points you should consider when you’re thinking about updating your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

Typically, 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 smart to begin preparing for air conditioning installation before it goes out so you aren’t sweltering while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Dependability

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

Repair Bills

Over your air conditioner’s life cycle, it’s normal for it to need a handful of minor repairs. But if your air conditioner repair cost is more than half the expenses of a new air conditioner, it’s smarter to just replace it.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner comes with a SEER rating, which ranks how efficiently it expends electricity to produce cold air. If your air conditioner was installed in 2006, it will be at minimum 13 SEER per federal laws. However, your air conditioner becomes inefficient as it ages.

As of now, 15–18 SEER is a popular ranking, but efficiency can go as high as the mid-20s. Air conditioners with higher SEER ratings are often costlier but might pay for themselves over their life span 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 additional rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfortable when your air conditioner is working? Or are you continuously dialing down the temperature to keep cool? An older air conditioner might have trouble keeping your home comfy as a result of reduced efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can lower high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of running at full speed continuously, these air conditioners operate at multiple speeds to fine-tune your comfort.

Noise

Your air conditioner should provide cooling you can feel, not hear. If noise is bothering you, call us about upgrading to a variable-speed air conditioner. The majority of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s similar to a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Adding a smart thermostat is a good way to maximize your energy efficiency, with very little effort needed from you. And, depending on the rebates provided by your utility company, you could be able to get a free smart thermostat or get one for not much. The majority of these thermostats can pick up on your temperature preferences and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. They also know when you’re at home or gone and change settings as necessary.

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

Refrigerant Style

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely runs on Freon®. Also referred to as R-22 refrigerant, Freon is no longer being produced because of its negative 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 include 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 pricey. That’s since Freon is only available in limited, recycled amounts.

Newer air conditioners use Puron®, or R-410A. But you can’t just add Puron in a Freon air conditioner, as 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 build up over the years.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Halverson Brothers Inc for air conditioning installation in Menomonie and western Wisconsin and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our pros 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 715-352-4052 to request your free, no-pressure estimate today!