This is one question that we get quite a lot. We’ve posted before about some of the signs that you should replace your air conditioner, one of which is that it’s simply getting too old. Age is a big indicator of the general health of your system, but many homeowners continue to use their air conditioners long after the 20-year mark. Their reasoning is that as long as the system is working, why bother replacing it? While it’s true that you can keep an air conditioner up and running for quite a long time, the question is: is it worth it? Let’s examine whether or not you should replace your old air conditioner, even if it’s still working.
Wear and Tear
As a system ages, it develops more and more wear and tear on its various parts. This causes a steady decline in efficiency, eventually resulting in the complete breakdown of the system when the parts can’t take the strain any more. The estimated lifespan of the air conditioner is typically determined by the average amount of time that passes before it gives out under the accumulated wear and tear.
Now, there are a wide variety of things you can do to keep your air conditioner running well past that date, including just repairing parts every time that they break. However, the air conditioner will still suffer a drastic loss in efficiency the longer it continues to operate. There really isn’t anything you can do to mitigate wear and tear. So, even though you could keep your air conditioner running for 30 or 40 years instead of 20, you would still be paying extra money on operating costs to compensate for the lack of efficiency.
If you aren’t sure about whether or not to replace your air conditioner, call Roadrunner Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration. We install and service air conditioners throughout Santa Fe, NM.
