Should You Replace Your Air Conditioner?

Replacing your air conditioner may not be an expense you want to incur this year, but there are several telltale signs that it is high time to do so. Even if it means postponing a vacation until next year, your family’s health and safety may dictate this step. To ensure that your equipment has really reached the end of its useful life, our Waxahachie, Texas AC repair experts offer suggestions to gauge the overall health of the system.

The Age Test

HVAC systems undergo mechanical improvements with almost every upgrade. What was considered state-of-the-art a short five or six years ago is now almost obsolete. As a general rule of thumb, consider an air conditioner that is older than a decade to be a good candidate for replacement. (For your heater, the useful life is about 15 years.) Replacing the equipment at that time can have a noticeable impact on your energy bill.

The Comfort Test

Your kitchen is oppressively hot while the bathroom is near the freezing point. It is clear that there are problems with your system. Contractors have been spot fixing the equipment on numerous occasions. As the costs of the frequent service calls add up, the system still does not seem to be in perfectly working order for long stretches of time. Rather than dealing with the symptoms, it may be time to upgrade the system.

The Environmental Health Test

Excessive dust can be a sign that you have neglected to change out the filters every two to three months. If you just changed the filter last week and there seems to be a lot of dust on the furniture already, you may be facing a leaky duct problem or other systemic issues. Humidity is another cause for concern. Combined with a musty smell, you may be facing a mold buildup problem that stems from moisture in the ducts.

Of course, your specific air conditioning situation may be different. Contact us to have our Waxahachie, Texas AC repair experts visit your home and investigate the overall health of your unit.