Owning an old air conditioning system has to be one of the most common things all around the world. In locations like South America, for example, I got to see families owning 20-year-old air conditioning systems, and I can say that owning one for more than 10 seemed years to be the standard.
This is, of course, a very bad thing, considering that most air conditioning systems can last for 10 years at most. More than that and the unit will start malfunctioning and might even become a threat to your health.
Of course, old air conditioning systems can last much more than that when proper maintenance is performed, and components of the system are replaced or repaired when problems arise. It also depends on the brand and type of unit we are talking about, but this tends to have certain drawbacks to consider.
It is also not recommended, and we will discuss the reasons for that, as well as why replacing an old air conditioner has its set of benefits. We will also discuss certain things to consider when choosing a new system and how a professional can help you out during the process!
Saving Money on Maintenance and Repairs
There are specific things you should always have in mind to answer the question: Should I replace my air conditioning system? The first one, of course, it is related to how much time you’ve been using it. Owning a 10-year-old system is a good opportunity to change it, for example.
The more time the unit has been working, the more maintenance it will require, and the more likely to affect related to its components are quick to happen.
This can be translated into more money spent on maintenance, repairs, and part replacements. Investing in a new unit might end up turning into a good investment because of the money you’ll save on maintenance and repairs.
Saving Money on Energy Expenses
Overall, new units also have their advantages, with the most noticeable one being their energy consumption. Because they perform better while consuming less energy, you will pretty much get better benefits with fewer drawbacks.
But how good are the benefits? As the best AC replacement service in Ridgeland recommends, getting a new unit might reduce air conditioning expenses by up to60%! Remove a lot, wouldn’t you agree?
More Environmental Friendly
You will also contribute to the environment, considering how newer air conditioning units are less harmful to it than older ones. This is due to them consuming less energy and producing fewer gaseous emissions.
In fact, a few years back, air conditioning was predicted to contribute around 25% to global warming by 2050, but this is slowly and steadily changing thanks to the upgrades of different types of air-cons, as well as new technological breakouts.
Overall Quality of Life Improvements
Imagine owning an air conditioner in a really hot place. I remember when I used to live in a place that could reach 35oC on a daily basis, and I didn’t have an air conditioner at the time. I worked from home so I had to deal with it using just a simple fan, and it felt like I was standing in front of a flamethrower most of the time.
Once I decided to get an air conditioning system, I started to notice huge improvements in my performance at both my job and studies. The benefits could be easily noticed. I also started to feel much less stressed out and grumpy, since I could feel comfortable at my place with just pressing a single button.
Now, imagine if that air conditioner, the one that has greatly improved your quality of life, started to show signs of malfunctioning, or just stopped working out of nowhere? This is something very likely to happen when you own an old unit.
Considering that air conditioners are complex structures of components, both mechanical and electrical, they can fail in many different ways. Of course, you can always count on the help of a professional technician to fix the problem, but units that are old tend to get damaged as soon as you repair them, so you know both time and money by doing so.
Replacing the unit will improve your quality of life while reducing the amount of money you’ll spend on repairs and maintenance, providing much better performance at a lower cost.
Avoiding Health Problems
Certain air conditioning systems might turn into a threat for some people, more specifically speaking, the ones suffering from respiratory problems. Old systems that have been left without maintenance for long periods of time tend to accumulate dust and dirt, and on some occasions, this can get stuck to the components inside of the unit’s structure.
This can get really difficult to remove without the help of professionals since some technicians even use chemicals and special solutions to fix this problem. Of course, a lot of people might ignore this situation, which can lead to reducing the overall quality of air of a place while worsening physical conditions like asthma or allergies.
Old systems are also much more prompt to having water leaks. This can raise the humidity levels of a place, which can lead to mold growing in dark places, or an increment in the temperature. Of course, it can also affect people with asthma.
What to Look in a New Unit
This depends entirely on the type of unit you are looking for. You should always look for a unit that fits your needs, and considering the number of units there are, this can be difficult to decide. Other things to consider are the installation process as well as how much maintenance they need.
You have, for example, window-based air conditioning systems, which can be cheaper and very strong units, but require making a hole in a wall for it to be placed properly, and also requires protections, like wood frames for the unit to fit tightly in the hole.
Splits can be installed almost anywhere and requires much less work, and might not perform as well, and also requires much more maintenance because of their delicacy.
You should check this guide over here for more detailed information on the process of picking a new AC unit: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/techook/things-to-keep-in-mind-before-buying-new-air-conditioner-6417826/.
A general rule of thumb is having your budget in mind, and whether you can hire a professional HVAC technician to help you out with the installation of the unit. If you can afford it, hiring a professional will make the process a much easier one.
Other things to consider are the electrical expenses the unit will produce, its functions, how strong it is for the room you want it to be installed in, and its lifespan.