7 Telltale Signs Your Air Conditioner Won’t Last Through 2016

Making resolutions for a healthier 2016? Don’t forget about your air conditioning system.

Why? If it dies suddenly, it’ll leave you with a major, unexpected expense. And surprise expenses cause a lot of stress, which can take a real toll on your health.

So here are the 7 signs of a dying air conditioner. The more of these signs you experience, the more likely you’ll need to replace your air conditioner this year.

Use them to plan and budget accordingly (and avoid stress!)

The average air conditioner lifespan in Fort Myers and Southwest Florida is 8-10 years. It can be even shorter if you haven’t had your regular AC tune-ups.

So if your air conditioner is getting up there in years, you might want to start putting some money aside for a new one.

As an air conditioner ages, parts will begin to wear out and need to be replaced, just as an older car will require more repairs than a newer one.

If the frequency and number of AC repairs is increasing, it’s a sign that your air conditioner will need to be replaced soon.

Does your AC make banging noises when starting up or running? Does it vibrate or shake violently as it runs? Has it suddenly gotten much louder than it used to be?

These noises can be signs that your compressor (the heart of your air conditioner) is going out. And replacing a compressor is so expensive that, if your AC is older, it might be better to replace your whole unit.

An air conditioner that regularly trips your circuit breaker can be a sign that there’s a serious electrical problem. Don’t just keep flipping the breaker back on; have a professional take find the problem.

The problem could be something serious (like a compressor going out) and can be a sign your AC will need to be replaced soon.

Have you noticed that your home isn’t quite as comfortable as it once was? Maybe there are some serious hot spots in your house. Or the air coming out of the vents isn’t quite as cool as it should be.

If your system is older, this can be a sign of it aging. And it will often lead to...

An old air conditioner won’t cool as efficiently as it did when it was new. As it loses cooling capacity, it will have to run longer in order to make up for the difference.

Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t notice this sign until it turns into...

Again, as an air conditioner ages, its parts wear out. This makes it less efficient and causes your energy bills to increase. Take a look at the last few years of energy use in your home. Do you see an upward trend? Your air conditioner might need to be replaced soon.

Here’s a cool way of comparing your energy usage.

Get a free estimate on a new air conditioner

If your air conditioner has 3 or more of these signs, you may want to consider getting a free AC estimate now.

That way you know what to expect and can begin budgeting for your air conditioner’s eventual demise.