When an air conditioner ages, it can struggle more and more to sufficiently cool your home with each passing year. The parts are worn down and impaired, so the system must go through longer cycles in order to transfer heat from the air in your home to the outdoors.
Many people are willing to put up with this for quite a while. They wait until the system is on its last legs before finally calling in a technician for a replacement system in hopes of saving money right now. But there are a couple of major problems with this way of thinking.
- It’s possible that the issue could have been resolved with a repair had a technician been called in sooner.
- You often end up spending more the longer you wait to replace an older system.
Call Technicians at the First Sign of Damage
It’s always a good idea to call in technicians at the very first sign that your air conditioning system is damaged. The longer you wait, the more likely it is to develop even more problems that cost more to fix. For example, leaky refrigerant can lead to a frozen evaporator coil which in turn overworks the fan motors and the compressor because it blocks the heat exchange process.
Don’t Spend More than You Have to
But if your air conditioner really is reaching the end of its life—if repairs are too costly and can only patch up the system temporarily anyway—you still should not wait to schedule a consultation for a replacement.
There are several added costs associated with delaying AC replacement. If you wait until the system is completely broken down, you pay more on:
- High energy costs at the end of the system’s life.
- Emergency service for a sudden system breakdown.
- Any small repairs made towards the end of the AC’s lifespan.
Be proactive. Replace your air conditioner after about 10-15 years, especially if performance is suffering. If you’re in California, you can save money through the HERO program, which allows financing for efficient central air conditioners, with easy low payments added on to your property tax.
Call Air Classic for all of your air conditioning and heating needs in West Hollywood.
