Maintaining and keeping your home in top condition sometimes feels like a full-time job. You have to keep track of all the equipment, things that would need any repairs, and even things that need to be replaced.
And while it’s true that if you maintain your home and take care of all the things in it, from the juicer and blender in the kitchen to the HVAC system in it, you’ll increase their life, you’ll still eventually need to replace those things. Your AC’s lifespan can be anywhere between 10 to 15 years, and it’ll show signs of failure long before you need to change it.
If you suspect your AC might need an upgrade, keep reading to find out how true that is.
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Table of Contents
It Needs Frequent Repairs
Most ACs need to have yearly tune-ups, gas valves, and maintenance checks, and if you’re regular with these checks, you won’t have too much of a problem with your AC during the summer when it’s most in use.
Orca Realty Management warns that if you skip these yearly maintenance checks, you can expect your AC to last for less than it should and perform poorly when you need it most. But if you’re keeping up with the maintenance and still experiencing issues, it might be a cause of a dying AC.
At some point, it might even be cheaper for you to install your new AC than to keep investing in repairs for the old one, especially if the performance keeps falling.
Your Bills Are Through the Roof
When an AC starts failing, it starts losing efficiency as well. If your electricity bills start skyrocketing out of nowhere, it might be because your AC is no longer up for the job it’s been given.
If your usage habits have stayed the same and you haven’t installed any new equipment around the house, your AC bills should stay the same. Your AC might be malfunctioning if that’s not the case, or it might just be old age that’s to blame.
You Renovated Your Home
Ac systems are installed based on the size and requirements of your home, but if you just expanded the area by adding a new room, creating a loft, or even removing the divide between two already existing rooms, your AC might not be up to the task.
In this case, your AC might be working fine, but you’ll still experience poor cooling simply because your AC is not built for what you’re trying to get out of it. This means having to get a new one asap or making an addition to your home.
The Weather
We often forget that not all of our AC is visible indoors – a huge outdoor unit is sitting in the sun, exposed to the elements, and working hard to keep our homes cool. This unit is an integral part of what makes AC’s work, so much so that putting anything near or around it that blocks the free flow of air can ruin your AC’s performance entirely.
This is why the weather and condition of your outdoor unit are a huge factor to consider when thinking about your AC’s lifespan. Your AC might not be that great anymore if you neglected to clean the outdoor unit for years or let it sit there exposed to dust, rain, sunlight, and other elements. Sure, you can’t put anything around it, but you could just put a small shed over it to protect it from rain and sunlight.
It’s Been Years of Frequent Use
The frequency of use is a great factor in determining how long your AC will last, and if you’ve been using the AC day in and day out every summer for decades, it might be time to say goodbye.
If you keep an eye on the signs and pay attention to your AC, having to buy a new one won’t come as a surprise at all. Once you notice any of the above-listed changes in your HVAC system, start planning or putting money aside for a new one.
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