As the summer starts, you may have concerns about the performance of your air conditioning system and whether it’s better to have a new one installed this year. You may have noticed the AC didn’t work as well as you wanted last summer, or perhaps you think that the unit is old enough that continuing with repairs will be a bigger money drain.
We’re glad you’re turning over these ideas in your head, because it shows you’re paying attention to your home’s air conditioning in Dover, DE. It’s smart to keep a watch on an air conditioner so you can have problems dealt with before they become even bigger problems—such as an emergency breakdown during one of the hottest days of the summer.
The best way to answer the question in the title is to call our professionals to consult with them about your AC’s future. Below we’ve given you some of the major warning signs of an AC ready to retire so you’ll have a better idea of what job you’ll need our technicians to do.
System Age
What is “too old” for a central air conditioning system? The usual system age range for most ACs is between 10 to 15 years. A well-maintained air conditioner will usually reach 15 years. A system that’s older is at increased chance of a decline in efficiency, extensive repair needs, and major malfunctions like compressor burn-out that will make a replacement a necessity. We recommend giving serious consideration to replacing a central AC that’s more than 15 years old.
Repair Costs Are Too High
When your air conditioner was new, it probably needed next to no repairs. You can expect a few repairs to pop up in later years, but you still shouldn’t need to call for a technician to fix the AC more than once a year. More important than repair frequency, however, is cost: paying more than $500 a year to keep the air conditioner running is excessive. Any single repair that costs more than half the price of a replacement is also a cost too far.
Utility Bills Are Too High
As age catches up with an air conditioner and time leaves its mark, the system will draw on more power to run. You’ll begin to notice an increase in your utility bills that doesn’t change, even with repairs and regular maintenance. This irreversible climb in the cost to run the air conditioner usually means it’s time to put in a new one—which will probably have superior energy efficiency compared to your current system when it was new!
Hot Spots Around the House
One of the biggest warnings that you have an air conditioner that’s dying is when it no longer can provide sufficient cool air to condition all the rooms. When you notice that rooms that are the farthest away from the AC are warmer than usual, it’s time to call for a technician to see if you should repair or replace the system.
Call on the company with over 25 years of quality service: Atlantic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc.