Should You Repair or Replace an Ailing Air Conditioner? Consider These Points

It’s that time again, and all the Central Florida homeowners who will rely on their air conditioners through the hot summer should have their A/Cs tuned up and maintained. But what if your tune-up tells you that your A/C has serious problems, or what if it struggled through its last days during last summer? After a time, isn’t it best just to go for a new model? Do you repair or replace an air conditioner that’s not doing as well as it should?

Really, even if your A/C is still chugging along, you might want to switch to a newer model! Air conditioning technology improves so much through the decades that if your A/C is more than eight years old, you might be able to rake in savings just by installing a new air conditioner. This is definitely true if your old A/C wasn’t top of the line when it was installed. And if your model is older than 2010, it’s probably using an outdated refrigerant that’s harmful for the environment.

Energy efficiency standards change over time. Consider the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), which tells you how much energy is required to produce desired cooling over the course of the season. Until 2006, you could get away with installing a 10 SEER A/C. In 2006, though, the minimum efficiency jumped to 13 SEER – a 30 percent increase. That means 30 percent better energy savings!  And in 2015, we’ll be required to install 14 SEER equipment, which is why we’re already recommending 14 SEER as the starting point if you’re considering new equipment.

To learn whether you should repair or replace an air conditioner in your home, have a qualified HVAC professional stop by. A home energy audit will point out how efficiently your house is heated or cooled, and it may be that sealing your ducts and tuning up your A/C will give you comfort and savings you’re satisfied with. But if you do want to upgrade your air conditioner, a professional opinion can help with that decision.

Call us today at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning if you have questions about whether to repair or replace your air conditioner!

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

Categorised in: Air Conditioning