If your air conditioner looks anything like the image we’ve shared in this blog post, then yes, we can say with certainty that your home is ready for an air conditioner upgrade! Of course, you’re probably not in this bad of shape. To be honest, sometimes the signs that your home is ready for an AC replacement aren’t visual at all–so you may think you have years left of efficient use, or at least this summer.
But the thing is, too many homeowners overlook the signs of disrepair in their air conditioner. They live in denial that it may be time to upgrade because let’s face it–air conditioners aren’t exactly cheap! But the truth is, you’re wasting more money month-to-month if you’re using an inefficient and failing air conditioner.
So, if the signs that your AC is ready to retire isn’t visually obvious, how can you tell? Read on to find out.
Your Air Conditioner Is Old
Let’s say you schedule maintenance once a year as recommended. You take care of repair needs right away, you make sure that your air filter is changed every 1-3 months, and you ensure the outside unit is unobstructed each spring before you need your air conditioner the most. That’s all great, but your air conditioner still isn’t going to last much longer than 15 years.
Natural wear and tear are going to break it down and cause it to work less efficiently over the years. After this point, they tend to develop a domino effect of repair needs and end up costing you more to fix and run from month-to-month than it’s worth. And when you pair old age with the following two signs, you really are ready for an upgrade!
Your Cooling System Costs More to Run Than It Used To
As your air conditioner ages, it gradually starts to lose its efficiency as the parts wear down. At first, this efficiency loss won’t be totally noticeable. Eventually, however, the decline will be so severe that the AC will be forced to operate for longer periods of time to compensate.
This longer operating time will drive up the monthly costs of using the system, so if you notice that your AC system is costing more to use per month than you think it should, it could definitely be a sign that it simply cannot work as efficiently as it once did, even with repairs, and it’s time to make an upgrade.
You Constantly Need AC Repairs
Needing a couple of repairs every other year or so is to be expected. Components wear out and need replacing or adjusting. You may even experience a refrigerant leak or two over the years. But what you shouldn’t have to deal with is multiple repair needs over the course of a single year. This is definitely a sign that your air conditioner is ready to fail and you could experience a complete breakdown at any time.
Contact Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. today for reliable AC replacement in Tacoma, WA. We take your comfort as serious as you do.