As your air conditioner’s work winds down for the fall, take some time to consider the cooling system’s performance. If the AC is coming to the end of its service life, fall is an excellent time to schedule a replacement.
But how can you determine if this was the last summer for your air conditioning system? We’ll help you with the important information below. But the best way to get an informed answer is to call our professionals to assess your HVAC system and see what repairs can fix, and where the system may be beyond repair. We can help you determine if you’re ready for a new air conditioning installation in North Myrtle Beach, SC this fall to replace your current one.
Average central air conditioner lifespan
First, you’ll need to know how old your air conditioning system is and how it compares to the average AC life expectancy. You’ll find the manufacture date for the air conditioner on the outside of the condenser cabinet (or a serial number that will allow you to determine the manufacture date). The average central air conditioning system will last for 10–15 years if it’s properly maintained. If your AC is already over that age range, then it’s best to have it replaced at the first convenient time.
Maintenance plays a big part
That average life expectancy we just quoted only applies when an air conditioning system has received annual professional maintenance inspections and tune-ups. If you have skipped out on maintenance several times, age will manage to get a hold of your AC earlier and may lower its service life by several years. Take this into consideration when you look at the system’s age.
Don’t discount the salty environment
In Myrtle Beach, we have a special environmental concern when it comes to our air conditioning systems: salty sea air. The combination of salt and humidity can rapidly wear down the outside AC components through salt deterioration, which is one of the reasons we stress regular maintenance as critical. If you haven’t been scheduling maintenance annually for your AC system, it may only last for around eight years—it might already be time to put in a new one.
Operating cost
One of the major signs of an air conditioning system that’s in decline because it’s almost at the end of its service life is when its efficiency plunges, leading to much steeper electrical costs. Compare your summer electric bills over the past few years. If you see a steady increase that you can’t account for, it’s possibly a warning that your air conditioner is starting to fail.
Hot spots and other cooling problems
Make an honest assessment of how well your AC worked to cool your home this last summer. Was it as powerful as usual, getting most of the house as cool as you expected? Or were there problems with hot spots around the house or the AC having to run longer at lower thermostat settings to keep the house comfortable? Poor AC performance may mean you need to schedule repairs for it—or, for an older AC, that you need to schedule a replacement.
Call Martin Heat & Air for air conditioning repair, replacement, and maintenance. We’re more than HVAC services; we give you peace of mind.