Although air conditioners are expected to last between 15 and 20 years, many ACs lose as much as half of their efficiency after just one decade of service. Therefore, now could be the perfect time to invest in a new cooling system for your Phoenix, AZ home. Even if your current air conditioner is still functioning, brand-new equipment will give you better performance, lower energy bills, and more. The following are 10 impressive benefits that you’re sure to enjoy when making this upgrade.
1. A Smaller Carbon Footprint and More Manageable Cooling Costs
Switching out old cooling equipment for a brand-new air conditioner is never a lateral move. Even if your next air conditioner has the same efficiency rating as your old one, it will generally perform better. As air conditioners age, their efficiency gradually declines. In addition to losing approximately half of their efficiency after a decade of service, residential cooling systems tend to experience progressive efficiency losses after this time. As a result, they work increasingly harder and use increasingly more energy until the end of their lifespan is reached.
Increased efficiency means lower home cooling costs, but it also means having a smaller carbon footprint. Best of all, this is an opportunity to reduce your environmental impact without making any dramatic changes in your AC usage. You can maintain the same preferred temperature setting on your thermostat, and you can still feel confident that you’re doing your part to save the planet.
2. Better Indoor Air Quality
Routine air conditioner and HVAC air duct maintenance can do wonders for your indoor air quality (IAQ). However, over time, even these measures won’t eliminate build-ups of allergens and contaminants that have found their way into hard-to-reach spaces. New air conditioners use energy more efficiently, and they’re also more effective in extracting airborne particulates and regulating humidity. The result is cleaner, fresher indoor air and fewer equipment-related IAQ concerns.
3. The Opportunity to Experience the Latest Innovations in AC Technology
A lot has happened in the HVAC industry over the past 15 to 20 years. If your cooling system is nearing the end of its lifespan, you may be surprised by how advanced AC technology has become. You can use this opportunity to upgrade to a smart cooling system that can be seamlessly integrated with your other smart home features.
4. A Clean, Fresh-Smelling Home
Trapped dirt, dust, pollen, pet hair, and dander in an older cooling system can have a marked impact on how your home smells. This is especially true when air conditioners become less effective at extracting excess moisture. If your home is pervaded by damp, moldering odors when your air conditioner is turned on, taking it out and putting a new one in will give you the benefit of a consistently fresh-smelling environment. You may even notice less dust accumulating on your counters, tables, and other indoor surfaces.
5. A Significant Boost in Your Home’s Marketability and Value
Beyond modernizing your home, new cooling equipment can also add to its value and marketability. This is a great upgrade to make if you intend to sell in the near future or if you’ve recently listed your home but garnered little interest. Installing an air conditioner that has high-efficiency ratings, smart features, and advanced functions will make it easier to capture the attention of qualified prospects.
6. Fewer Repair Costs
Although air conditioners are expected to last between 15 to 20 years, this doesn’t mean that all of their components will. Throughout your air conditioner’s lifespan, many of its components will wear down or outright fail long before the expected time for AC replacement. The need for costly air conditioner repairs often increases in frequency the older the air conditioners get.
If you’ve been paying for AC repairs every summer, it’s time to add up all of your recent repair bills. You’ll likely find that a total AC system replacement is increasingly becoming the most cost-effective choice.
7. Even and Consistent Cooling Throughout Your Entire Home
As central air conditioners age, they gradually lose their ability to cool homes down uniformly. In fact, the development of hot and cold spots throughout the home is a top sign of the need for AC replacement. Having hot spots throughout the building is incredibly problematic in Phoenix. With outside temperatures often in the triple digits, you need a cooling system that can reliably keep all areas of the building both comfortable and habitable. A new air conditioner will provide the even, whole-house cooling that your family needs and deserves.
8. Avoid Total System Failure
There are few things scarier than having your home’s air conditioner fail when outside temperatures are intolerably hot. Waiting until your AC unit is already at the end of its lifespan could leave you scrambling to find a cool place to stay until your next air conditioner arrives. Sudden AC failure can leave aging adults, infants, residents with compromised immune systems, and everyone else in your household vulnerable to heat exhaustion, severe dehydration, and heat stroke. It’s always far safer to take care of AC replacement before your current unit stops working altogether.
9. Take Advantage of New, Environmentally Friendly Refrigerants
Depending on how old your current air conditioner is, it may still be using Freon or R-22 as its refrigerant. Due to its known impact on the ozone layer, Freon has long been phased out. This coolant is no longer imported or manufactured for sale domestically. As a result, recharging air conditioners that are Freon-reliant has become incredibly costly and all but impossible.
With an upgrade, you’ll get a refrigerant that’s much cheaper, far more accessible, and markedly better for the environment. This is even true if your current air conditioner uses R-401a or Puron, Freon’s initial replacement. The latest industry standard in residential AC refrigerant is a single-ingredient coolant known as R-32 or HFC-32. This new refrigerant has just one-third of the global warming potential of Puron.
10. Take Advantage of the Latest Federal Tax Incentives
Now is also a great time to replace your air conditioner if you’re interested in taking advantage of federal tax incentives. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduced a number of federal tax credits and deductions for HVAC system upgrades that are efficiency-focused. Central cooling systems, central heat pumps, and ductless mini-splits that meet the qualifying requirements for these credits could save you up to 30% of your project costs or as much as $600. Best of all, you can optimize these savings by tightening your home’s envelope with additional efficiency upgrades in the process. When you schedule your air conditioner replacement with us, we’ll help you find qualifying equipment, and we’ll provide the information you need for taking advantage of all relevant incentives.
We work hard to help residents of Phoenix, AZ and the surrounding area save money while optimizing their home comfort. We offer air conditioning, heating, and HVAC air duct services. We also provide preventative maintenance plans.
If you’re ready to update the cooling equipment in your home, contact Cool Zone Air Conditioning & Heating now!
