For some people, having an air conditioner is a luxury. These individuals often live in locations with temperate climates that rarely see extremes of heat. Others, however, find that their AC systems are absolutely essential. If you fall into this second class of people, then you definitely need to know when it is time for an air conditioning replacement.
One easy way to determine whether or not you need to swap your current unit out is by determining what type of refrigerant or coolant it uses. R-22 coolant or freon is soon to be unavailable. This is the refrigerant that was most frequently used in air conditioners that were made before 2010.
In 2020, it will be illegal to produce new stores of freon. Moreover, before this time, the costs of the remaining supplies are guaranteed to skyrocket. As a result, even getting an old unit recharged can cost nearly one quarter as much as a total system replacement. In this instance, upgrading your unit is absolutely essential. Now that freon has been declared illegal for both production and use, systems that rely on this coolant are swift becoming obsolete.
You might want to change out this equipment if you have had to pay for several repairs in the last one to two years. Multiple repairs can easily add up to the costs of a full system replacement. More importantly, they generally mean that they system is starting to wear down and that additional repair issues will soon be on the way.
The best reason to swap out your AC unit is because it is reaching the end of its lifespan. Find out how old your unit is by speaking with the manufacturer or by checking online resources. Then find out how long it is expected to last after installation. The older that your unit is; the less efficient it will invariably. As such, you will find that while an upgrade will have a significant upfront cost, you’re also going to experience significant savings on your energy bill over time.
When systems breakdown or refuse to turn on, this could be a sign that they are ready to go. In these cases, the only way to know for sure whether you need to pay for a placement is by scheduling a service visit. A seasoned HVAC contractor can determine if repairs are even possible, and if the costs of having them performed are actually going to be worthwhile.