7 Signs It’s Time To Replace Your AC
Wondering if it’s time to finally replace that AC that has been giving you trouble? Check out these 7 popular signs to help you make the best decision!
1.) Your air conditioner is old (10 years +)
Air conditioners are designed to last 8-10 years on average.
However, assuming that you have had annual maintenance completed by a licensed HVAC company, some units can last 15+ years easily.
Also, as of the year 2020, R-22 will no longer be available anywhere as it is being phased out by the government.
This also means that the price of R-22 related repairs right now has begun to skyrocket due to dwindling supplies all across the country.
R-22 is being replaced by R410a, which is found in all new air conditioners that are sold today.
2. Your air conditioner is noisy
In general, your air conditioner should not be noisy while running.
It is normal to be able to hear the quiet hum of the compressor as it runs in your outside condensing unit, but it should not be anything overly noticeable.
If your condenser is beginning to sound like an airplane taking off, chances are your compressor is beginning to die, and that equates for 50% of your air conditioning system.
If you have an old air conditioner, replacing the compressor would not be the wisest option financially as compressor replacements can easily cost $1,200 or more.
It would generally be money better spent to just replace the entire air conditioner if the unit is old.
3.) Hot and cold spots in your house
Rooms in your home should be equally cooled in the warmer months.
It should be noted however that rooms that are over garages or crawl spaces tend to be a bit warmer than the rest of the house as the heat from those areas rise.
However, large variations in temperatures could mean that your air conditioner is starting to break down.
Before making any drastic decisions however, it would be best to check some simple fixes first, like changing your furnace filter.
4.) Rise in humidity indoors
Did you know that your air conditioner acts as one big dehumidifier?
It basically works by removing the heat from the air indoors.
If you are noticing a rise in indoor humidity during the warmer months, it may be a sign that your air conditioner is close to death.
However, this could also mean that the system is too small for your home, but if this is the case, you would be having problems year after year and not all of a sudden.
5.) Your energy bills have gone up
It’s common sense that older air conditioners are not as energy efficient as the newer ones that have come out over the years.
However, if you have recently noticed an unusual spike in your energy bills during warm months, it could be directly related to your air conditioning system.
As an air conditioner gets older, it will slowly start to have to work harder to cool your home.
This extra expended energy means extra expended dollars from your wallet.
Tasks such as keeping your furnace filter changed, and having annual maintenance completed by a licensed HVAC company should help you not have this issue.
6.) Your air conditioner runs constantly
This can be directly related to the previous point of energy consumption.
As your air conditioner ages, it will start having to work harder to keep your house at the temperature you set on your thermostat.
Big side note here however that if you have your thermostat set to “ON” instead of “AUTO”, your fan will always run until you shut it off.
Some people like to have this option to leave the fan on to help filter the air in their house, but it is really a preference thing.
7.) Increase in repair frequency
This is probably the most obvious point but it should nevertheless be mentioned.
If you are having to have frequent repairs done on your air conditioner, it is a sign that the system itself is failing and near the end of it’s lifespan.
General rule of thumb is that if an ac repair is going to cost half of the cost of a new unit, you are better off just replacing it.
Also, repairs on old air conditioners are only stop-gap measures in that you are only delaying the inevitable.
Unless you are just trying to buy some time or are hard pressed for cash, it is best to just replace your old AC.
Deciding to repair or replace your air conditioner is a balancing act of many factors but these points are the best place to start.
Have an old air conditioner that you are ready to replace? Let us give you a FREE, no-obligation estimate today! Call us at 614-475-1800.
