Replacing the air conditioning in your Modesto, CA, home is a major expense and one that you’ll need to plan for at some point in time. Although air conditioners last a long time, they always fail eventually. That’s why it’s important that you know how long the AC in your home may last. You can start planning and budgeting for the process of replacing it.
Typical Lifespan for Air Conditioners
It’s somewhat difficult to say how long any air conditioner might last since lifespan can depend on so many different factors. The average lifespan for a central AC system is approximately 15 years, but this average is determined by looking at every part of the country. An air conditioner will usually have a longer lifespan in the states up north, where it usually doesn’t get as hot as down south. Also, air conditioning doesn’t run for as many months in a year up north. In places like Arizona or Florida that are extremely hot and humid, many air conditioners will end up failing after only 10 to 12 years.
In the Modesto area, most people turn their AC on in May and leave it running until September. It’s not unheard of for air conditioning to be used into part of October in this area. Combine that with the fact that many summer days reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit. An air conditioning unit gets lots of use each year and must work hard. This means you’ll be lucky if your AC is still working efficiently after more than 15 years.
Ductless mini-split air conditioners almost always have a longer lifespan than central ACs. The average lifespan of a mini-split system is 20 years. Some will last 25 years or even longer.
How much yearly use any type of air conditioner receives and how long it can last doesn’t just depend on where you live. Your thermostat setting also makes a difference. Your air conditioning will obviously run more if you have your thermostat set to a lower temperature. Another major factor is whether the exterior walls in your home, especially the attic, are sufficiently insulated. This will prevent your house from heating up as fast. The color of your roof matters as well. A dark roof will result in your home being hotter and your AC needing to run more. Even something as seemingly minor as whether you keep your curtains and blinds shut during the day can make a difference. If you leave your windows uncovered, your home will experience much more heat gain, which leads to a greater workload for your AC.
How Regular Maintenance Helps Protect the Life of an Air Conditioner
The single biggest factor that will usually determine how long an air conditioner lasts is how often it is serviced and inspected. If you don’t have your AC serviced every year at the start of the air conditioning season, it will never end up lasting as long as it potentially could with regular maintenance. With regular maintenance, there is a chance you could extend the life of your AC to 20 years or more.
Like any other piece of equipment, air conditioners need to be maintained frequently to keep them functioning at their peak. Tasks like cleaning debris out of the AC condenser and cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils are vital for ensuring an air conditioning system cools quickly and effectively. If these tasks aren’t performed regularly, the AC system will quickly start to perform poorly. That means it will take a longer time for it to cool your home, resulting in the total number of hours it runs each day increasing as time goes on.
Another issue that occurs if the coils aren’t cleaned regularly is that the compressor runs harder. This can cause its motor to fail sooner. A failed compressor motor is a major issue that an air conditioner can experience since the motor can’t be repaired. A replacement will usually cost a few thousand dollars. That means you’re usually better off just putting that money toward installing a new AC unit. While the compressor motor does come with a warranty, the manufacturer may deny your warranty claim if you don’t have documentation proving your AC was professionally maintained every year.
Regular maintenance also makes a major difference in how much energy an air conditioner uses. So many different issues will end up arising that decrease its energy efficiency. One other reason that maintenance matters so much is that it can make a big difference in how many repairs an air conditioner needs over its lifetime. If the AC isn’t working effectively due to a lack of maintenance, there will always be a greater chance that various components will wear out or the system will break down.
How to Know When to Replace Your Air Conditioner
Experts always recommend replacing your home’s air conditioner approximately once every 15 years. One reason is that AC technology is continually advancing. This results in units that perform much better and are much more energy efficient. That means a new air conditioner should keep your home more comfortable and help reduce your electricity bills during the summer.
If you have a 15-year-old air conditioner, there’s a decent chance that its energy-efficiency rating is only 13 SEER. A SEER rating of 13 was the minimum required by the U.S. Department of Energy up until 2015. The minimum in California is now 15 SEER. A unit with this rating will use at least 14% less energy than a unit that’s only 13 SEER. If you install an even more efficient unit with a much higher SEER rating, you could easily cut your air conditioning costs by at least half.
In addition to lowering your electricity bills, installing a new AC is a smart choice to avoid the risk of your old unit giving out in the middle of the ssummer. If this happens, you’d have to go without air conditioning for at least a few days.
One sure sign that your air conditioner is on its last legs and beginning to fail is if it keeps breaking down frequently and constantly needs repairs. When facing this issue, it always makes more sense to just replace the unit instead of continually spending money to repair it.
Watch for your air conditioner to start performing poorly. It may begin to have difficulty keeping your house cool enough. Even on hotter days, a properly functioning AC should be able to fully cool your home quickly. If your air conditioner is running consistently for long periods of time without optimal cooling, this is a sign that it no longer works effectively enough and is using much more energy than it should.
Compare your monthly electricity usage against the previous year. Temperature differences from year to year will make a difference in how much an AC runs and how much electricity it uses. Nonetheless, if your usage is much higher this year, it’s a good indicator that your AC no longer works well.
At Loves Air, we pride ourselves on delivering top-notch air conditioning, heating, window replacement, water heaters, and solar services to customers throughout the Modesto area. Whether your AC needs replacing or you need any HVAC repairs or maintenance, you can count on our team of experts. For more information on the ways we can help improve your home comfort, give Loves Air a call today.
