Don’t Get Left in the Heat: Knowing Its Time For an AC Replacement

Don’t Get Left in the Heat: Knowing It’s Time For an AC Replacement

Since a home is such a large part of a family’s investment portfolio, homeowners are wise to learn about a home’s building systems and keep them maintained. For instance, homeowners should know the age of their roofing shingles, carpet, and windows, and have a general idea of how soon they will need to be replaced. Another important building system to investigate is the air conditioning system.

Air conditioners are complex electro-mechanical systems, with four major functions:

  • Air conditioners cool the indoor space, making it comfortable and healthy for human habitation
  • Air conditioners remove excess humidity from the air for comfort and health
  • Air conditioners have a filtration system and clean the air with every cooling cycle
  • Air conditioners move air to ensure every area of the home is receiving fresh air

Homes are very difficult to maintain as abodes in South Texas without air conditioning. Knowing when to repair and when to replace an air conditioning system is part of wise homeownership. Here are some basic tips about air conditioners to help homeowners with decisions concerning replacement at just the right time.

Know When You Need an AC Replacement

Knowing the age of the air conditioner is an important first step. If you were not the owner during the last AC replacement, find the information on the model number plate. The manufacturer’s website can tell when the unit was built. Quality air conditioning systems will last between 15 and 20 years. Annual maintenance and regular air filter changes may add a few years. If your AC system is older than this, make plans for replacement soon. The goal might be to nurse it along for as long as possible, but an emergency replacement can be expensive and very inconvenient compared to a planned replacement.

Know Why You Need an AC Replacement

  1. Like any system in use, the parts eventually begin to show signs of wear. There are a few moving parts in an AC system. Two motors turn fans that assist with heat transfer, one inside the air handler cabinet and one outside in the condenser unit. It is easy to understand wear and tear on moving parts. But wear and tear also happen to electrical parts—switches, sensors, and control units.
  2. Wear will lead to repair visits to replace certain failing parts. Eventually, a large enough component will fail so that the repair cost rivals the cost of replacing a system. Keep a tally of repair costs and make sure that the cumulative costs of repairs do not climb too high.
  3. Perhaps the first indication of a problem is that the air conditioner is beginning to perform poorly. The air coming through the vents might be warm, not cold. The air conditioner might struggle to keep up during prolonged heat waves, forcing longer-than-normal cooling cycles. Certain rooms or spaces might never seem to get cool. The relative humidity indoors is very similar to outdoor humidity. There might be a simple solution, like a clogged air filter. If not, the solution might be attributed to a weakened air conditioner system.
  4. The clues might come from annoying smells or loud noises. The smells might seem sour or mildewy. The sounds might be loud, banging, or buzzing. They will not go away on their own and are often indications of a rapidly failing system.

Clear indications of an imminent catastrophic failure often include most or all of these signs–an aged air conditioning system that performs poorly, is expensive to keep running because it keeps making noises and smells foul. A wise homeowner will begin making plans for an AC replacement as soon as these signs begin to appear.

All Cool AC & Heating AC Installation professionals can assist with your HVAC repair and AC maintenance needs. Schedule your service or replacement appointment by calling All Cool AC & Heating at 281-238-9292 or contact us via email, and let our NATE-certified AC maintenance technicians put their experience to work for you.