When Should You Repair Your Air Conditioner and When Should You Replace It

July 12, 2016

Your A/C system is chugging away through another San Antonio summer and then your cold air stops blasting. You call an air conditioning expert to come to your home and inspect your system and before it’s over you’re going to have to pay a steep price for the repair. So at what point do you call it a day and just upgrade your current AC equipment?

Age

Obviously the older your system gets, the more it’s likely to fail and lose efficiency. Air conditioners over eight years old are now much less efficient than the current energy-efficient systems available today. Additionally, if your AC is more than 14 years old, odds are you are going to lose more money over time to keep it running than if you just invested in a new, energy-efficient A/C system.

Money

To piggyback on the above statement, at some point it’s going to begin costing more to invest in new parts and fix issues than it would to just buy a new air conditioner. Another factor to note is R-22, the typical refrigerant for old air conditioning equipment, is being phased out for the well-being of the environment. If your air conditioner was assembled before 2010, you will probably see a large increase in the charge for your refrigerant until you replace your system.

Efficiency

Science is always improving and with that comes more energy-efficient AC equipment. New systems tend to cost less to run because they can cool the home more efficiently, lowering your utility bills – and who doesn’t want that?

To set-up a no-charge in-home estimate to replace your old inefficient A/C equipment, call Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air at 210-404-4233. We will come over, review your current air conditioning system, and discuss all of your options with you so you can make the right decision for your home. For further information regarding if now is the ideal time to upgrade, call today for a free in-home consultation.