Whether your energy bills climb higher each month, your indoor air quality declines or your HVAC technician says your heating and cooling system just isn’t as efficient as it used to be, making the call between air conditioner repair or replacement is often a tough choice for Indianapolis area homeowners. There are costs and benefits associated with both repairing or replacing an AC unit, and it’s up to you to decide between paying the cost to repair your air conditioner’s current issues or investing that money into a new air conditioner system replacement.
Often, there isn’t a clear “right answer” when you’re faced with deciding whether to repair your air conditioning unit or replace your air conditioner with a new system. There are several factors to consider that will help you decide between repair or replacement, such as the age of your old system, its life expectancy, whether or not the HVAC system has been well maintained over the years, refrigerant type, warranty coverage, the cost and complexity of repairs, the cost of a new unit, cooling equipment SEER ratings, and the potential for improved efficiency and future energy savings.
If your air conditioning system is in need of repair yet you wonder if it’s time to replace your AC unit instead, Williams Comfort Air explains the factors that could help you make a clearer decision. While the choice between repairing or replacing air conditioners is unique to each situation, use these considerations to determine the best approach for dealing with older units.
There are numerous factors to evaluate when deciding whether to repair or replace your air conditioner but if you’re looking for a quick solution, the top elements to look at are cost and age. Looking at the unit’s age versus the expected lifespan of an air conditioning unit is helpful when preparedness and planning ahead is your goal. Comparing the cost to repair your older system to the costs associated with installing a new air conditioner can help guide decisions where money and making a wise financial investment is most important.
Air conditioners are mechanical systems that eventually wear out with use, no matter how well cared for they are. The average life expectancy for an AC unit in the Central Indiana area is between 10 years to 15 years. Older units that are ten years old or more are likely to need replacement in the near future – if the system is currently in need of repair, you may decide that money could be better spent toward a brand-new unit versus paying repair costs on an air conditioner that is due for replacement soon anyway.
If using the unit’s age to base your repair or replacement decision, units near, at, or beyond 10 years old are usually slated for replacement. Of course, there are other criteria concerning the air conditioner system’s age that can be helpful for making a more personalized decision for your situation.
Cost is often the top consideration for homeowners when deciding whether to repair an AC unit or install a new system, as a significant amount of money can be involved either way. When your air conditioner faces the need for a simple repair that is relatively affordable, moving forward with repair service is an easy choice – however, when the needed repairs come at a cost that is comparable to a substantial portion of the money needed to buy a new HVAC system, homeowners give more thought to the decision between repairing or replacing the air conditioning system.
As with age considerations, there are other factors that you could include as you evaluate information based on the price you’ll pay to repair or replace your AC unit. When a cooling unit is near, at, or beyond the average life expectancy of 10 years old to 15 years old, some decide repairs just aren’t worth it at this stage and go with replacing the air conditioner. You may want to also consider whether or not your HVAC technician advises that the proposed repairs are a solution to end current problems or more of a band-aid that could patch up the system for a little while longer.
As you look for signs and examine the factors that will help you make your choice to repair or replace your home’s AC unit, don’t stop at cost of repairs, the price of a new air conditioner, and how many years you’ve had your existing AC unit. Below are a few more elements you should take into consideration as you determine the best route for dealing with the cooling equipment that serves your household.
Regular maintenance is critical to the long-term performance and efficiency of an AC unit, as well as its lifespan. A well-maintained air conditioner receives regular maintenance tune-ups performed by a licensed HVAC technician on an annual basis, undergoes air filter changes as needed, and routinely experiences system inspections to identify and correct airflow obstructions and other issues that could hamper the efficiency and function of the system.
A well-maintained air conditioner could experience a lifespan that greatly exceeds the typical ten years old to 15 years old, lasting closer to 20 years old. Alternatively, a system that lacks in this care over the years could fail well before the system becomes ten years old. If you have kept up with maintenance service over the years you’ve owned your air conditioner, you may feel more comfortable with repair even as the system advances in age closer or beyond its expected lifespan. If you have skipped several years of tune-ups from your HVAC technician, you should anticipate that your AC unit won’t last quite as long as you expect before deciding to repair or replace an air conditioner or HVAC system.
An air conditioner unit or other type of HVAC system typically suffers more malfunctions and breakdowns in its final two years of service life. As you decide between having your system repaired or installing a new air conditioning system at home, think about how many times you’ve had to call your HVAC technician for repair service in the last few years.
It’s not an exact science, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to pay attention to the signs regarding the number of technicians visits you’ve had over the past few heating and cooling seasons. If you’ve seen a lot of your technicians lately, replacing your air conditioning system now could generate substantial savings by avoiding those repeated service call costs.
If your air conditioner was manufactured before 2010, it likely contains R-22 refrigerant. Commonly known as Freon, it is an ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) that was used as the primary refrigerant in air conditioning systems since the 1950s. Replacing older systems containing this coolant or another HCFC is really the best choice for several reasons.
The older your air conditioning unit, the less efficient it probably is. Wear and tear impacts system efficiency over the years, causing efficiency to decline below the stated SEER rating in many cases, especially when the heating or cooling unit isn’t properly maintained. Even if your older air conditioning unit states a rating of 10 SEER, it’s likely nowhere near that today – not to mention the fact that 10 SEER is well below today’s minimum SEER ratings for standard efficiency.
Older heating and cooling units were not subject to today’s manufacturing requirements for standard SEER ratings. Starting in 1992, the minimum efficiency for a new air conditioner was 10 SEER – for new air conditioning systems sold in Indiana today, minimum efficiency is 13 SEER, and will increase to 14 SEER in 2023. Standards for efficient operation were put in place to help homeowners save on energy costs and conserve energy for the benefit of the environment.
As efficiency of a heating or cooling unit has a direct connection to energy consumption and the costs paid for energy bills, replacing your air conditioner with a unit that has a higher SEER rating and more efficient performance will offer immediate cost savings. Replacing your existing air conditioner with a minimum SEER unit by today’s standards offers you better efficiency than a minimum SEER unit held to past regulations, not even considering the reduction in efficient performance over time. Before moving forward with repair service, consider that your older HVAC unit isn’t offering the level of operation you expect based on its label, and weigh the savings possible when you upgrade to a higher efficiency SEER unit.
Deciding between fixing system problems and replacement for an AC unit, heating unit, or HVAC system can be difficult. When you know the signs to watch for and points to weigh, you are able to make a more informed choice that best fits your situation. Whether you need service to fix your air conditioner or you want to install a new AC unit at home, call Williams Comfort Air for quality service all around.