Your Poorly Performing Air Conditioner Is at the End of the Line? The Telling Signs

The last thing you want to deal with when the temperature soars outside is a poorly performing air conditioner.

Repairs may be less expensive than a replacement, but the following telltale signs indicate you could be better off by getting rid of your poorly performing air conditioner sooner rather than later.

Age

This is the most telling sign of whether to repair or replace your air conditioner. If your system is performing poorly and is more than 10 years old, it could be time to throw in the towel. Consider the enhanced comfort, efficiency and convenience of a new Energy Star-qualified A/C that performs exactly as it should.

If your unit is less than 10 years old, don’t give up on it yet! Get in the habit of scheduling annual preventative maintenance to help it perform more efficiently and last years longer.

High humidity

Old air conditioners, or ones that have been sized improperly, aren’t capable of removing humidity very well. Leaky ducts can also contribute to the problem. There’s only so many summers you can stand living in a cool, though clammy and sticky, environment.

When discussing the problem with an HVAC contractor, decide if replacing the poorly performing air conditioner is the way to go or if duct sealing is enough to resolve the problem.

High electricity bills

The potential for amazing savings is a huge reason to replace that poorly performing air conditioner. If you’ve noticed your electricity bills going up each successive summer, rising energy costs might not be the only thing to blame.

Consider that each year your air conditioner loses about 5 percent of its energy efficiency. By replacing an underperforming unit with a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of 8 with a new 15 SEER system, you can expect to save nearly 50 percent on your cooling costs.

If these telling signs are all too true in your home, it could be time for an air conditioner replacement. Contact T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating in Long Island today for more information about trading out your poorly performing air conditioner for a shiny new A/C.

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