6 Questions To Consider When Replacing Your Air Conditioning System (Video)

If you’re like most homeowners, you have plenty of questions about replacing your air conditioner. Let’s visit some of the most frequently asked questions that we get when helping customers like you.

1. How Long Will the New System Last?

On average, AC systems last anywhere from 10 to 15 years. The reason this is a bit of a wide window is because at around years 10 to 12 we’ll start to see major issues with the systems that could lead to high repair costs, causing homeowners to decide it’s better off to replace them. Around 12 to 15 years we’ll start to see systems completely fail, leaving the homeowner no option other than to replace.

2. Should I Consider an AC Replacement?

Should you consider an AC replacement? Yes. Should you replace your AC system? Maybe.

There’s a number of things to consider about replacing your air conditioner:

• Your current system’s warranty status. Warranties can help mitigate repair costs to keep them low, and sometimes even keep them at $0. A system under warranty may not be in your best interest to replace.
• The age of your current system. The average life expectancy of an air conditioner can be anywhere from 10 to 15 years. Understanding if your system falls before that range, in that range, or if it has already exceeded its life expectancy should be taken into account.
• Your current system’s performance and efficiency. Have your energy bills remained the same, or are you starting to see your energy bills spike? Has the comfort level remained the same in your home, or are you starting to notice that it’s struggling to keep up temperature? These are some questions to ask yourself to determine if now may be the right time for a system replacement.
• How long you plan on living in your home. Do you have plans set to move within a year? Do you plan on being there for the long haul? The answers to these questions will help determine if now may or may not be the best time to make a long-term investment in your home.

3. Is Repair or Replacement a Better Option For Me?

Your specific case will determine if you should repair or replace your air conditioner. Many of the factors that decide this are the same as the ones we looked at previously:

• Your current system’s warranty status. Is your system still under warranty? If so, the repairs may be lower cost or even potentially free.
• The age of your system. Is your air conditioner falling in that average life expectancy window? Have you already exceeded that window? If so, spending money to repair a system that is already past life expectancy may not be in your best interest.
• How long you plan on living in the home. Is a repair that’s going to give you an additional one to two years of operation enough time for you to sell the house and move on?
• Refrigerant type. The government and the EPA have deemed some types of refrigerant unsafe for the environment. The manufacturing of these refrigerants has either slowed down or stopped. For example, R-22, commonly known as Freon, has already been banned by the EPA. R-410A is currently being phased out, and they’re beginning to roll out new refrigerant types such as R-32, R-54B, and R-466A.
• Repair costs. Are we talking about a small repair where $100 or $200 will get you from six months to two years down the line? Or are we talking about putting thousands of dollars into a piece of equipment that doesn’t have a lot of life left. That money could have gone a long way in getting you closer to the cost of replacing the system in it’s entirety.

4. Should I Replace My Whole HVAC System At The Same Time?

Some homeowners have an AC and a furnace that are together as one system that both heats and cools the home. Those with combined systems like these will want to understand if replacing their AC means they should also replace their furnace. This is also going to be dependent on the specific situation.

The considerations to evaluate when making this decision are some of the ones we’ve already reviewed:

• How long do you plan on living in your home is an important factor to consider if you’re able to predict the future to that extent.
• What is the age of the other piece of equipment that we’re talking about? Is your furnace relatively new? Is your furnace the same age as your AC system? Is the furnace even older?

Often times when homeowners have two pieces of older equipment, it does make sense to replace them at the same time. One of the reasons is cost savings. If we’re going to come out  to replace your AC system, we’re going to be working around your furnace. We may be dealing with some of the same electrical wire and some of the same parts. It’s easy for us to just rip out the AC and furnace and install a new furnace and a new AC at the same time.

It might take half a day to put in a new AC system, and it might take a little over half a day to put in a new furnace. However, when we’re doing them together we’re actually able to do it all in one day, and we’re able to pass along that savings to you as a homeowner.

Another benefit is how the systems work together. A furnace houses the blower motor that moves the air that cools your home. So you may put a brand new AC on top of an older furnace, and now, if that furnace blower motor fails, you’re not going to have cool air even though you have a brand new air conditioning system.

Putting “new on top of new” can also match the warranties, but it can also ensure that something brand new is functioning with something else that’s brand new. This helps reduce the likelihood of there being any issues.

5. What Are The Benefits Of An AC Replacement?

The benefits of having a brand new AC system are:

• For one, efficiency. Every year, manufacturers integrate technology advancements that allow for more and more efficient equipment to be made, and installed in homes.

With efficiency comes lower energy bills, so replacing an older AC system that may be at a lower efficiency level with something brand new should lower your energy bills and provide you with a more efficient AC system.

• Another important factor to consider is that a brand new system is going to come with brand new warranties. Having a system under warranty allows you to have peace of mind that either nothing will go wrong, and should it go wrong, you’re going to be taking care of.

The security of knowing that there’s going to be no further costs out of your pocket for the system can help you sleep at night and relax during the day in a very comfortable home.

• And that’s the third benefit: comfort. The increases in technology allow for better efficiency, but they also allow for better comfort. Having a properly functioning, new, efficient system in your home is going to allow the comfort level of your home to be more in line with what you’re asking it to do at your thermostat.

6. What Is The Cost Of An AC System Replacement?

This is the million-dollar question because if we could tell you exactly what the cost of your AC replacement would be in your specific situation, we would be millionaires.

The real answer is that it’s important to have a professional come out to meet with you, discuss wants and needs, explore your specific situation, and provide you with options and pricing on what your system installation may cost. This is a service that we here at Mattioni offer for free to our homeowners.

The reason why it’s important to have an HVAC professional come out to your home is because there’s different efficiency levels and sizes for air conditioners based on the size of your home. Every home has a different setup in how this system gets installed in and interacts with your home.

Is it getting put in an attic? In a crawl space? In a basement? In a closet? There’s many factors that come into play that make it tough to give a definitive answer of how much it would cost.

To give you a range, if you had a smaller AC system and you wanted to replace it with something that was basic or standard efficiency, and you had a very ideal setup in your home, you could potentially have your AC system replaced for around $6,000. Larger systems, more efficient systems, more difficult setups, all of those things can lead to higher and higher costs depending on what your wants and needs are.

On average, we find our homeowners falling somewhere in the $8,000 to $12,000 range to replace their air conditioning system.

What Are My Next Steps to Replace My Air Conditioner?

If you have any more questions or want to schedule an appointment with one of our experts to provide you with a replacement quote, you can call 610-400-8510 or visit our online learning center to learn more about your air conditioner replacement search.