5 Signs You Should Replace Your AC in Louisville, KY
Sooner or later, for one reason or another, the time will come when the cooling system in your home in Louisville, KY no longer works and you need to get a new one. Since you’ll be using your AC most during the summer, it’s best to watch for signs of an imminent breakdown and replace your system before the weather truly heats up. Here are five important signs that you should replace your AC.
1. Rising Energy Bills
As long as your AC remains in good shape, its general level of efficiency should remain fairly consistent over time. While you should certainly expect some decline in efficiency as the system ages, that decline should be gradual and controlled. Steep, sudden declines indicate serious trouble.
Your utility bills provide perhaps the clearest sign of your AC’s efficiency. The more your system’s efficiency drops, the more your power bills will rise. Of course, it may be possible to stop or even reverse these sorts of troubles with repairs, but they should at least plant the idea in your mind that you may soon need to replace your AC.
2. Growing Need for Repairs
Speaking of AC repairs, while it’s only natural for your air conditioner to require them every so often, they should give you lasting results. If you put your AC into the hands of skilled and experienced professionals, your system should not need fixing again for some time.
As long as your AC is in good general condition, it may only need repairs once or twice per year, if even that often. However, if you need to fix something again mere weeks after having done so, it’s likely that your AC’s parts are failing.
Once that problem becomes severe enough, it won’t be worthwhile to repeatedly call for repairs. A wiser choice would be to buy and install a new AC system.
3. Lack of Cool Airflow
Since producing cool air and spreading it through your home are the core functions of an AC, it should obviously concern you when you see that your system is unable to produce cool air. How serious of an issue this truly is will ultimately depend on other factors like what the ultimate cause is, how severe it is and whether repairs can make it stop.
For example, if your central AC has airflow difficulties merely because its air filter is dirty, then replace the filter and remember to do so every one to three months. If your system won’t generate cool air because the compressor is faulty, get the advice of a professional to see if the cost is worth it with the age of your system. If repairs are costly and your system is older, it may be better to invest that money into a new system.
4. Smells or Noises
Normally, your AC should produce no odors and no noise beyond a fairly quiet hum. As with most AC problems, repairs, maintenance and professional inspections should take care of them under most circumstances. It’s only once these things fail that you should look at AC replacement as a viable option.
5. Age
Finally, stay aware of your AC’s overall age. The average central air conditioning system remains reliably functional for about 15 years, after which point the likelihood greatly increases of serious issues emerging that have the power to totally derail the system.
Of course, this is only a rule of thumb, not an ironclad figure. It’s also true that you may be able to extend your system’s useful life if you care for it properly and provide it with professional maintenance at least once a year. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to think about replacing any AC that’s been around for more than 15 years.
The consequences of ignoring or missing signs like the foregoing can be quite serious. Now that you know what to look for, you’ll only need to take one additional step when you notice trouble. Call our team at Birkhead Co. and sign up for the best AC installation services or repair services around Louisville, KY.
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