Air conditioning in Lake Worth, FL is something we have to think about all around the year. We don’t have long winter seasons where air conditioners stay off for months at a time—and this means our ACs accumulate plenty of wear and tear.
As we move out of the summer and you won’t need your AC running as often, you may want to consider your AC’s condition. It won’t last forever, especially in the rigors of the Florida heat, and if it’s time to replace yours, the off-season is the best time to schedule it. We’ll go over questions to ask about your AC that will help you figure out if this was its last summer of cooling.
How old is your air conditioner?
If you don’t know the answer, you can find the manufacturer’s date on the outside cabinet of the AC. If the date isn’t there, write down the model and serial number and go to the manufacturer’s website. Central air conditioners can last, on average, from 10 to 15 years. Although it’s possible for them to last for more than 15 years, they usually start to lose energy efficiency and become costlier to run and at a higher risk of sudden breakdowns. If you’ve got an AC this old, we definitely recommend replacing it soon.
Has the cost to run the AC gotten steeper?
Take a look at your summer electric bills for the past few years. If they’ve started to rise and you don’t know the reason, it’s a possible warning that the AC is losing its energy efficiency due to age. Well-maintained air conditioners retain approximately 95% of their original efficiency rating through most of their lives, but will start to decline in the last one to two years. If you see higher operating costs, your AC may be nearing the end.
Does the AC need repairs too often?
You shouldn’t need to repair your air conditioner every year. And more than one repair a year is definitely too much. This money should go to a replacement rather than trying to push a few more miles out of a dying AC. Also watch out for any repair that’s too expensive, such as a repair that costs more than half the price of getting a new air conditioner.
Has the AC lost some of its cooling capacity?
Here’s ways to tell that your AC doesn’t have the same cooling capacity anymore:
- It has to run for longer to cool the house.
- You notice uneven cooling, with hot spots in some of the rooms.
- To get cool enough, you have to lower the thermostat farther than usual.
- The house feels more humid than normal when the AC is on.
These problems in an older AC often mean the system is starting to fail.
We still recommend you get a professional opinion about replacing your AC before you take any action. Reach out to our team: we’ll inspect your air conditioning system and help you determine the best next step.
For Red Carpet Service Every Time, Contact General Plumbing and Air Conditioning in Lake Worth, FL.