What you need to know before you invest in another repair to your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
It will happen! One day your air conditioning system will be working fine, the next day it will be blowing hot air! Before you shell out money to fix your broken AC system, know these three things.
First, you must know the age of your HVAC system. The average life of a typical AC unit is about 15-20 years. That number varies greatly depending on the maintenance that has been provided to the system over those years.
Second, know the SEER rating of your system. SEER measures an air conditioner’s cooling efficiency. A higher SEER rating means greater energy efficiency. Today the Department of Energy (DOE) mandates for our region a minimum of 14 SEER, using R410A refrigerant.
Third, if you do have an older AC system, there is no good news about the refrigerant that it uses— R-22. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that R-22 damages the ozone layer and is currently in the last few years of completely phasing out R-22. With this phase out of R-22, the price continues to go up.
Consider these three things about your HVAC system:
- Age of your HVAC system
- SEER rating
- Refrigerant use R-22 vs. R410A
So, there you have it, the 3 things to consider before you repair your old, energy guzzling heating and cooling system. An older AC system is no different than an older car— parts can get hard to find too.
If you have questions about investing in another AC repair or want a second option to replace your AC system, call M.E. Flow right now. We provide FREE estimates and second options for replacing your home’s heating and cooling system.
M.E. Flow offers heating, cooling, and plumbing services from our office locations in Alexandria, Leesburg, and Winchester—serving all of NOVA.
Other related article, “How to Avoid Needing an Air Conditioner Repair.“