Knowing in advance that the time to upgrade your air conditioner is near is beneficial. It helps you plan your finances better to meet the expense and also enables you to deflect the inconvenience of suffering in the hot weather without an AC.
Before beginning, it’s important to know that to upgrade your air conditioner, you don’t have to wait until it is broken or completely stops working. Sometimes an upgrade may be in order even while it is still in working order. Hence, the need for this informative post.
6 Signs It’s Time To Upgrade Air Conditioner
Before you decide to upgrade the air conditioner used in your home, an assessment from a qualified HVAC contractor is always advisable. If nothing else, it will give the homeowner a true picture of the condition of the AC. It may even help you prevent making any wrong or untimely decisions. Here are the top 6 signs that strongly indicate that the time to upgrade the air conditioner is near:
1. AC Demands Frequent Repairs – If you follow the annual maintenance rule, the air conditioner should not give any major problems. However, in spite of that, if the AC still breaks down often enough and the cost of repairs is drilling a bigger hole in your pockets, you may want to think of an upgrade. But before you jump the gun, try changing your HVAC technician. Getting a second opinion may help you discover that the problem was not being diagnosed correctly and so the need for constant repairs. If that be the case, you need not buy a new AC. However, if the problem still persists, discuss the options with your HVAC technician to make the most informed choice.
2. Wrong Size AC – Most homeowners make the mistake of buying an AC without taking into account the size that will suit the needs of their house. As a result, many people land up purchasing either an over-sized or an under-sized unit. In both cases, your home will not cool properly. Had that been the only problem, maybe you could have compromised. Instead, you will also notice a drastic increase in the monthly energy bills, and also your unit will either short-cycle frequently or will start overheating. Such a combination of problems is not good for the life of the AC. Your AC is slowly and steadily running into the ground, eating into your pockets, and not doing much to improve comfort at home. So a wrong sized AC is a costly mistake.
3. Refrigerant Used Is Freon – If your AC uses “Freon” or “R-22” refrigerant, you may want to change your AC and upgrade to a better one. The main reason being that now there is a ban on its production due to its greenhouse effect. Freon is being phased out in stages. As of today, the prohibition extends to the import of the refrigerant as well. Only certified technicians can buy R-22, and even then, it is the reclaimed and recycled stock. Due to limited stocks, the price of the coolant has also increased tenfold. Therefore, topping up the coolant in your AC, which happens to be R-22, is way costlier than using another more environment-friendly refrigerant.
4. AC Less Than 13 SEER – The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or the SEER rating is an important consideration while deciding to upgrade the air conditioner. In the United States of America, all air conditioner units manufactured after the year 2005 should have a minimum SEER rating of 13. The central air conditioners that are ENERGY STAR qualified should have a SEER rating of at least 14.5. The SEER rating of 16 is considered to be average. Due to advancements in compressor technologies, it is now possible to buy an AC with a SEER rating that goes as high as 20. In older air conditioners (more than a decade old), the SEER rating was very low, as low as 10 SEER. If you happen to be the owner of such a unit, you may want to think of upgrading.
5. Absence Of A Digital Thermostat – Technology has made life very easy, and there is no doubt about that. The digital and smart thermostats are a step further in the right direction. These allow the homeowners to program their thermostats to a different setting for different times of the day and different days of the week. So, in the mornings, when everybody is away from home, the thermostat will increase the temperature as per your setting. When its time for everyone to come back home, it will automatically lower the temperature to cool the house to a comfortable level. In the same manner on weekends, when everybody is at home, the thermostat program will guide the AC to work at a lower temperature throughout the day. There is no need to go and change the temperature settings on the thermostat continually. Instead, one program will take care of it all. If your AC is not compatible with a digital or smart thermostat, you may want to upgrade to a newer one.
6. AC More Than 10 Years Old – An AC that has already been running for the past 10 years is close to the end of its useful product life. Instead of waiting for it to shut down on you completely, be proactive, and think about replacing it. At least you will not have to suffer discomfort in the hot season when the AC goes belly up in the middle of it.
Finally
One can never pin-point the exact time when you will need to upgrade your air conditioner. Despite that, if your AC fulfills at least two of the above conditions, you have no choice but to buy a new one. And before doing that, always get the opinion of a trusted HVAC contractor.
The trained technicians at Aztil Air Conditioning can help the residents of West Palm Beach, Florida, tackle their heating and cooling problems. We can give your HVAC system a tune-up and also carry out repairs. To book an appointment, call +1-888-727-8452.
