An older air conditioner can do wonders provided it’s received regular care and the workload is manageable. Unfortunately, here in the dog days of August in Rocky River, OH, “manageable” may no longer be the right word. Late summer is a good time to give your older air conditioner a critical look, seeing if months of regular use and weeks more to come has pushed it to the breaking point. Making the decision to replace your old air conditioner is very sensible at this time of year, since it gives you months to plan for the new system and have it installed when the air is cool enough to go without AC for a few days. As always, only you can make the decision to replace your air conditioner. But we generally use three basic criteria to help make the call:
Multiple Repairs
Generally speaking, if you have to make more than two formal repair calls for your air conditioner in the course of one calendar year, that is a sign of a serious problem. Alternately, it might just be one repair, but the cost of it is so high that it makes more sense to invest in a new system than to try and prop up an old one.
High Bills
Older air conditioners are usually inefficient air conditioners, which means they cost more to run from month to month. Eventually, those high bills can put such a squeze on your monthly budget that a new system is the only way to find relief.
Age
Most air conditioners should last for at least 10 years and all of them have a warranty covering a reasonable lifespan. When the warranty expires, it may still have many years of life left in it. But if that’s the case and you’re experiencing high monthly bills and/or significant repair calls, that’s usually the best sign that you need a new AC.
Call Westland Heating and Air to discuss your options!
