With adequate upkeep, your air conditioner will offer worry-free performance for years. But, just like any other thing in your house, it will eventually need to be updated. Knowing when to install a new one is important to skip pricey repairs, costly energy bills and interruptions to your comfort.

When it involves being cool and your residence’s energy efficiency, our Street Heating and Cooling pros have your best interests at heart. There’s a lot that goes into deciding when your air conditioner requires replacement. Here are a few points you should consider when you’re thinking about upgrading your 15-year-old air conditioner.

Age

In most instances, the Department of Energy says many air conditioners run for 15–20 years. If yours is 15 years old, it’s well past the midpoint. It’s recommended to get started preparing for air conditioning installation before it fails so you aren’t sweating while you’re waiting for a replacement.

Dependability

How trustworthy is your air conditioner? Does it cool well, even on the hottest days? Or is it regularly 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 lifetime, it’s normal 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 install a new one.

Energy Efficiency

Every air conditioner includes a SEER rating, which rates how proficiently it expends electricity to make 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 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 higher SEER ratings are often costlier but may pay for themselves over the years through increased energy savings. And getting an energy-efficient air conditioner, especially one that’s an ENERGY STAR® air conditioner, can make you eligible for added rebates.

Comfort

Are you comfy when your air conditioner is on? Or are you constantly dialing down the temperature to stay cool? An aging air conditioner could have trouble keeping your house comfy as a result of decreased efficiency. An updated air conditioner, particularly a variable-speed air conditioner, can reduce high humidity and hot and cold spots. Instead of cooling at full speed constantly, these air conditioners operate 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 installing a variable-speed air conditioner. Most of these air conditioners run at a sound level that’s like a regular conversation.

Smart Thermostat Compatibility

Getting a smart thermostat is a smart way to maximize your energy efficiency, with minimal effort required 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 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 change settings as necessary.

If you rely on an older 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 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 negative effects on the ozone layer. You can see if your air conditioner uses R-22 by looking at the sticker on the outside unit, which will list the refrigerant kind.

If your air conditioner is operating fine, you can keep on using it. However, if it ever experiences a refrigerant leak, solving 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, since pressure requirements are different.

Our Pros 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 over 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 build up as time goes by.

We realize that air conditioner cost is your top question. That’s why working with Street Heating and Cooling for air conditioning installation in Rapid City and surrounding areas is simple and affordable. Our professionals will help you choose the right solution 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 605-206-3915 to request your free, no-pressure estimate right away!