You love living in Macon, Georgia. It offers plenty of dining and entertainment options, shopping, and employment opportunities, and it’s just a couple hours’ drive away from both the beach and the mountains. Yes, indeed, Macon is a great place to call home.
Unless your home’s heating and cooling system isn’t working correctly. Then, Macon, Georgia, isn’t as pleasant as it could be.
When your air conditioner goes out, especially in the middle of a typical sweltering summer in Macon, Georgia, you want it back up and running as soon as possible. But is it better to repair your HVAC system or cut your losses and opt for a whole new Carrier system from Pruett Air Conditioning?
This month, we’ll look at 4 signs that can indicate that it’s time to pull the plug on your old unit and choose a new AC replacement from Pruett.
AC Replacement Sign #1: Your Current AC Is Broken
We know what you’re saying – “Duh.” Obviously, AC replacement is an option any time that your HVAC system goes out, but there might be faults with your system that you’re not even recognizing. Note that none of these specific symptoms indicate that a replacement is necessary, but if any of these start happening frequently or occur together, replacement may be on the table:
- Your vents are blowing hot air when they should be blowing cold, or vice versa.
- Your unit no longer keeps the house at a consistent temperature, and temps inside vary widely from room to room.
- You smell a burning odor (indicating a component failure) or a musty odor (indicating mold growth inside the unit) coming from your HVAC vents.
- You hear a loud or unusual sound, especially if it’s a squeal or a shrieking noise, coming from any part of your HVAC system.
- Your system continues to cool and heat properly, but your electric bills suddenly skyrocket for no apparent reason.
When you experience one of these, call your preferred HVAC service company. They can diagnose the problem, give you a quote for a repair, or advise you that an AC replacement is necessary.
AC Replacement Sign #2: You’re Seeing a LOT of Your Repair Techs
Look, let’s get this straight up front. We love getting to see our customers. But if we’ve been out to repair your air conditioner more than 2-3 times over the course of the summer, then we may need to take a little break. Let us install a new AC replacement, and then we’ll both have time to see other people.
As an HVAC system gets older, failures become more frequent. That means the system that’s let you down a couple of times this year probably isn’t going to behave any better next year. Instead of continuing to pour money into repairs, put those funds towards a new AC that doesn’t leave you with frequent repair bills.
AC Replacement Sign #3: With Age Comes Wisdom Replacement
How old is your current HVAC system? If it’s more than 15 years old, you should definitely consider a replacement.
“But my vintage air conditioner is still working fine!” we hear you say. Congratulations! You’ve beaten the odds and are getting better-than-average life out of your air conditioner. That’s not the norm. The air conditioning industry expects most new residential HVAC systems to last about 15 years. After that, components begin to fail with greater frequency, and it gets harder to find replacement parts when a failure occurs.
Another note about air conditioner age: if your HVAC unit is old enough still to use R-22 (Freon) as its refrigerant, then it’s definitely time for a replacement. Due to R-22’s environment-damaging properties, it is no longer being produced, and servicing an R-22 unit requires using recycled refrigerant, which is becoming more scarce and more expensive every day. Upgrading to a new, more eco-friendly unit using R-410a will make future maintenance easier and more affordable.
AC Replacement Sign #4: Repair Is Too Expensive
“Hang on,” you say, “if repair is too expensive, how is AC replacement going to be cheaper?!” Bear with us.
A good rule of thumb for determining whether an AC repair is worth its price or not is called the “Rule of $5,000.” Basically, for any air conditioner repair job, perform the following calculation before agreeing to the job:
Cost of repair (in dollars) x Age of system (in years)
If the answer is greater than $5,000, then the repair may not be worth it.
So, if you have a 6-year-old unit that needs a $150 repair, the total figure is $900—far less than $5,000, and the repair is probably worth the money. On the other hand, a 10-year-old unit needing a $600 repair? That’s a total of $6,000, so it may be worth it to consider AC replacement instead.
Why does this rule of thumb work? Generally speaking, putting considerable money into an aged HVAC system is usually not a good investment. By compensating for the unit’s age, the Rule of $5,000 helps you determine whether a repair will be a good value or not.
The Team at Pruett Air Conditioning Can Help You Decide on an AC Replacement!
Has a broken, old, or inefficient AC got you down? We can help. Our skilled technicians can evaluate your existing AC system and recommend repairs or replacement to get you back to comfortable living. Give us a call at , and breathe easier!
Pruett Air Conditioning has offices in Warner Robins and Eastman, GA, so no matter where in Middle Georgia you’re located, Pruett is your local HVAC company.
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