Our air conditioners here in Florida have a hard job to do. Temperatures are high and summers are long. Even so, with regular maintenance, an air conditioner can last more than a decade. If your air conditioner is getting on in years, you’re probably starting to wonder when you’ll need to replace it.
You don’t want to spend money on AC replacement too soon if it’s not necessary, but you don’t want to put it off until it breaks down completely. Where is the line? How can you tell when it’s time to get a new air conditioner? We’ll try to make that as simple as possible for you. Here’s what you need to know.
Replace Your AC When Repairs Are No Longer Reasonable
This is a pretty simple statement, but what does it actually mean? There are a few different possibilities. One is that annual maintenance and routine repairs are no longer making it so your air conditioner works well or runs efficiently. If nothing is quite bringing the air conditioner back up to the quality you need from it, it’s time for cooling replacement in Fort Walton Beach, FL.
Another possibility is that repairs are being needed more and more frequently. As an air conditioner ages, this will naturally happen. A reasonable need for repair is definitely not more than once each year. Each repair might not be too costly, but they add up, and if you don’t replace your air conditioner, they’ll add up more and more quickly.
Finally, it would be unreasonable to spend a great deal of money on a single repair for an air conditioner that is past a certain age. But what is a great deal of money? And what qualifies as an air conditioner being past a certain age? It’s frustrating when a simple answer isn’t all that simple, isn’t it. So we’ll break it down with two easy formulas.
The 50% Rule
One option for calculating a precise yes or no answer to whether a repair is reasonable is the 50% rule. For this, you will need both an estimate of the repair cost and an estimate of the cost of replacement. If the repair would likely cost more than 50% of the cost of purchasing a new air conditioner, it would not be a reasonable choice. Having a new air conditioner installed would be a better investment.
The 5000 Rule
To use the 5000 rule, multiply the air conditioner’s age by the estimated cost of the repair. It’s only reasonable to invest in the repair if the result is under 5000. For example, it would be reasonable for a 5-year-old air conditioner to have an $800 repair (for an answer of 4000) but unreasonable for a 10-year-old air conditioner to have the same repair (for an answer of 8000).
At Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, whatever your air conditioning needs are, we’ve got you covered. If you decide that your old AC unit needs maintenance or repair, a qualified technician will be happy to provide it. And if you decide that AC replacement is the better option, we offer installation of air conditioners, heat pumps, ductless mini splits, and even geothermal systems.
For professional AC services, look no further than Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. Contact us today!