When your “not-so-new” AC breaks down, we often stand at the crossroads, whether it needs a simple repair or we should just replace it altogether. Well, it is a tricky decision to make at times. So here we have put together several factors that you can consider when deciding whether to repair or replace your existing air conditioning system.
When your air conditioning unit shows either of the following signs, it means that there is some problem with it.
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- Excessive noise or vibrations
- Abnormal increase in power bills
- Coolant leaks
- Poor airflow
- Frequent breakdowns
- Power up and power down issues
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There are more signs, but some of the common ones indicate that your AC needs some special attention.
Factors to Consider in Deciding Whether to Repair or Replace Your AC
We at the Air Con Company are one of the leading air conditioning companies in London and nearby areas. So as experts we understand getting an efficient new air conditioner of decent quality isn’t a small investment. Thus, unless your existing unit isn’t faring well enough and the repair costs are inexplicably high, consider calling a professional to repair it. Often a simple repair and regular service are enough to extend the life of your existing unit by a few years.
Now here are some of the factors that you can consider to deciding between repairing and replacing your AC:
How Old is Your AC?
Like any other electrical appliance, with time the performance of your air conditioning unit deteriorates. The average life of a well-maintained air conditioning unit can be anywhere between 12 to 15 years, depending upon various factors. Modern air conditioners may last even longer by 3 to 5 years. Yet, it is agreed that if your air conditioner has crossed the 10 years mark, and it is experiencing frequent breakdowns, it is better to just replace your AC unit. This is because the cost of repair probably won’t be justifiable. Buying a new unit will be a smarter choice. On the other hand meanwhile, if your AC is less than 10 years old, getting it repaired could be a wiser option, if your AC is generally well-maintained that is.
What do Your Power Bills Reflect?
An air conditioner is one such appliance that relatively consumes more power. Now several factors contribute to the efficiency of your air conditioning unit. But in whatever case, the efficiency of your older AC is bound to decrease over time, even if it’s quite well maintained. Thus, if you see your power bills are going unnecessarily, replacing your existing air conditioning unit will be a wiser decision to make. The money that you’ll save on your electricity bills will eventually justify your investment in the new unit in the long run.
The Type of Refrigerant that Your AC Uses
In the UK, using the R22 Freon refrigerant is illegal to use in the newer systems. However, there might be several older air conditioning systems that still use it, as the ban didn’t come to place until 2010. Thus, if your system is an older one and uses the R22 refrigerant, it is advisable to replace it if there are frequent or bigger breakdowns. This is because the repair cost of such systems can be inexplicably high and also it might be more difficult to repair. Moreover, they have a detrimental impact on our environment
The modern systems on the other hand use the R32 or R410A. R32 is the newest and most popular, because of its high efficiency as well as a low GWP.
How Much do the Air Conditioning Repairs Cost?
When it comes to newer systems, generally, the repair costs are not substantially high. In such cases, there’s no point in replacing your existing system. However, if your existing unit has suffered a major breakdown and the repair cost comes out to be extravagantly high, you might want to consider replacing your unit, depending upon how old it is relatively.
So the cost of repair can become a deciding factor. We at the Air Con Company, along with domestic and commercial air conditioning installation, also carry out service and repair at fairly affordable prices.
How Long do you Plan to Stay in Your Current House?
Now if you are planning to move out to a new house, in say 2 to next 3 years, then replacing your existing unit for a new one doesn’t make much sense, however old it might have been. A newer air conditioning system might not bring you as many benefits if you’re going to sell your house real soon. A repair might be a better option.
It is recommended to replace your existing unit only if you plan to stay for longer than approximately 3 or more years. Because in such cases, a new, more efficient system will bring down your power bill significantly. Moreover, there are less chances of your AC needing any repair work in the initial years.
Is Your AC Unit an Eyesore?
If you are getting your house refurbished, you might want to replace your older AC unit with a new one. When your entire house gets a makeover, your old, faded and aesthetically unappealing ac unit might become a sore sight to look at. Now, this is an aesthetic consideration and has nothing to do with the functional purpose of the AC, but it might still matter to some.
Thus, once you have considered all these factors, you can finally decide on whether to replace or repair your AC. This is where we, as one of the most reputable companies in the air conditioning installation London market, come into the picture. We carry out new air conditioning installation as well as domestic and commercial air conditioning services at fairly competitive prices.
Thus if you are looking for an air conditioning company that provides you with holistic HVAC solutions at affordable rates, contact us now and our team will be more than happy to attend to all your queries. As well as air conditioning systems we also deal in Ventilation System Installation, Heat Recovery Systems, Renewable Energy Installation, and Hot Water System Installation.
