Is It Time to Replace Your Air Conditioning Unit?

Owning a home comes with a laundry list of things that require maintenance. One of those things is your air conditioning unit. At some point, you will need to decide whether you repair your air conditioner, or replace it. But you don’t want to be making that decision in the middle of July when it feels like 35 degrees celsius outside and hundreds of other homeowners are already scheduled to have their air conditioning unit replaced ahead of you. Be prepared and plan ahead!

Here are four signs that your air conditioning unit may be nearing the end of it’s life:

It’s more than 10-15 years old

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Since air conditioning units are often outdoors and exposed to the elements throughout the year (think extreme temperatures), their life expectancy is generally shorter than that of a furnace. Modern air conditioners could last up to anywhere between 15-20 years. But keep in mind that the lifespan of your unit will also depend on how well you’ve maintained it over the years, how often you use it, how hot/humid it is where you live, and whether or not the unit was sized properly when it was installed into your home. It's also important to realize that as your air conditioning unit grows older, so do it’s mechanical parts and eventually, they may become unavailable or obsolete. If a replacement for a broken part is not available, you will need to purchase a new unit. So, if your A/C unit is getting older, you should start preparing for the purchase of a new one.

Your energy bills are increasing

A higher energy bill can signal an issue with your A/C unit. Unless there are sudden drastic changes in your home’s energy use, your monthly energy bill should stay around about the same amount. During furnace and A/C season, you may see a bit of a fluctuation, but if your monthly bill starts to noticeably increase, it may be time for a new unit. Your A/C unit may be losing efficiency, or there may be some other underlying issue. If you notice your bill going up, and staying up, speak to a qualified HVAC technician about whether it may be time to start looking for a new A/C.

You’re calling your repair guy more than you’d like

Many common A/C issues are due to lack of maintenance, so having your unit tuned up annually by a qualified technician should prevent you from experiencing breakdowns during the summer. However, if your unit is experiencing multiple breakdowns despite regular maintenance, you should start preparing for a replacement. Remember, frequent breakdowns mean frequent repairs and the cost of these repairs add up. At some point, it may make more sense, financially, to purchase a new unit rather than continuing to put money into your older unit that you know will need to be replaced eventually anyways.

Your A/C used R-22 Freon

As of January 1, 2020, Freon will no longer be produced or imported into Canada. If you own an air conditioner that is over 10 years old, it likely uses a refrigerant known as R-22 Freon. R-22 has been found to have negative effects on the environment, so it is being phased out of use. This means that if your air conditioner is over 10 years old and breaks down and requires a Freon refill for the repair, it will be very difficult (and expensive) to find. So, start preparing for a replacement now as you will eventually have to replace your A/C with a unit that does not use R-22 refrigerant.

Unless you’re a qualified and trained HVAC technician, it can be difficult to tell what is going on with your air conditioning unit. Give Farr Mechanical a call if you think it may be time for a new air conditioner and one of our qualified technicians will be happy to help you.

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