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Any residents of the Greater Sacramento, CA area will tell you that the summer weather can be scorching. This means that you need a reliable air conditioner in your home to stay comfortable during the hottest months. However, if you’ve had your current cooling system for many years, it may be time to consider investing in a replacement unit. On average, household air conditioners will last for approximately 15 to 20 years before they start to significantly decline. That said, every AC unit is different.
For a cooling system that’s around 15 years old, you may have trouble deciding whether or not it needs replacing. Here, we’ll take a look at a few of the most common indicators that an aging air conditioner has reached the end of its productive life span.
Has Your AC Unit Been Having Frequent Problems?
Before you replace your air conditioner, you’ll want to consider how its overall health has been recently. Most importantly, has the appliance been experiencing regular equipment problems? Often, when a cooling system is in decline, mechanical issues will start to become far more common. These occurrences may be minor and only require simple, affordable fixes. However, if they’re happening frequently, they will likely continue to become more serious over time. Eventually, these problems will get more expensive to repair and become more of a hassle for you and your family. Instead of continuing to spend money on fixing your old air conditioner, you can put that money toward a brand-new system.
Generally, if an older AC unit regularly needs professional repairs, it’s best to replace it as soon as possible. However, if you have an older system that still seems to be in good health, you may be able to wait another couple of years before moving on from it.
Have Your Cooling Costs Risen?
You should always keep a close eye on your household’s monthly utility costs. Doing so is especially important if your home features aging heating and cooling units. When your air conditioner is new, it should have no problem cycling smoothly, which will allow it to consistently operate at peak energy efficiency. As a result, you shouldn’t need to spend too much on your monthly cooling bills. However, this won’t remain the case indefinitely; the older your AC unit gets, the less energy-efficient it will become.
If your current AC unit is over 10 years old, it’s prudent to be on the lookout for any unusual spikes in your utility costs. A sudden increase in your cooling costs likely means that your air conditioner is struggling to do its job efficiently. By upgrading to a new system, you can immediately start saving money, and the new equipment should remain efficient for years to come.
Is Your Home Comfortable?
Ultimately, the primary job of your air conditioner is to keep your dwelling cool and comfortable. The older an AC unit gets, the more wear and tear will accumulate on its components. After a while, this will make it harder for your cooling system to do its job effectively, which can start to negatively impact your home’s comfort.
If you’re thinking of replacing your aging AC unit, consider whether you’re still satisfied with its performance. If you aren’t, you’re probably better off investing in a replacement cooling system. Often, older air conditioners will start taking an unusually long time to cool the house. Alternately, you may start noticing uneven temperatures in your home. This could mean that your AC unit is having trouble circulating conditioned air to certain rooms or areas.
An AC unit in decline may also struggle to effectively control humidity levels in your home. If there suddenly seems to be substantially more moisture in the air, replacing your declining air conditioner may be the best solution.
Has Your Air Conditioner Become Louder?
Although each air conditioner model is unique, just about every cooling system should remain relatively quiet while it’s cycling. Granted, you may hear occasional noises such as the soft whooshing sound of air, but there shouldn’t be much more than that. So, if your AC unit regularly makes loud noises while running, that almost always indicates it needs professional attention.
Troublesome air conditioner sounds can come in many different forms. For instance, you may start to hear a hissing, squealing, rattling, or banging noise, just to name a few possibilities. With a newer AC unit, hearing sounds like these will typically mean the appliance needs a tune-up or repair by a qualified HVAC technician. However, if your cooling system is over 15 years old and starts making unusual noises, replacing it may be your best course of action. While each sound can mean something different, they often indicate that the appliance is laboring. With an aging unit, this will likely continue to grow worse over time, even if you’re diligent about professional AC tune-ups.
Are You Ready for an AC Upgrade?
Even if your current air conditioner seems to be healthy and running smoothly, this could still be a good time to upgrade to a newer unit. With just about any HVAC appliance over 15 years old, there will be significant benefits to investing in a replacement sooner rather than later. Once your AC unit has reached this ripe old age, it will no longer be as reliable or energy-efficient as it once was. The system may be stable at the moment, but it will also be at greater risk for equipment issues than a newer unit would be.
Sometimes, it’s more prudent to replace your aging air conditioner before it starts showing signs of decline. This can save you hassle down the road. For one, you won’t have to worry about your cooling system breaking down when the summer heat is extreme, which could leave your home hot and unpleasant for days or even weeks.
Upgrading your old AC unit can offer all of the following benefits:
- More consistent home comfort
- Lower monthly cooling costs
- Greatly reduced risk of AC equipment problems
- Better indoor air quality
- Increased peace of mind
Handling Your AC Replacement
When you decide to replace your air conditioner, our team at Atticman Heating and Air Conditioning, Insulation will guide you through the entire process. We will evaluate your household’s cooling needs and help you select a brand-new appliance that’s a perfect fit. Our skilled technicians will then promptly take care of the installation, ensuring that your home has dependable cooling again as soon as possible.
Trusted Sacramento AC Professionals
Our team at Atticman Heating and Air Conditioning, Insulation is proud to assist Sacramento residents with air conditioning installation services of the highest quality. Since we were founded, we have been a customer-first business, always going the extra mile to make our clients happy. Our expert HVAC technicians offer a full slate of heating, cooling, and indoor air quality services, including maintenance, repairs, and installations. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with us at Atticman Heating and Air Conditioning, Insulation, simply give us a call today!
