We tend to have a complicated relationship with our home air conditioning systems here in Melbourne. We may find ourselves using our air conditioners irregularly throughout the year, utilising it heavily in the summer and not at all in the winter. These periods of minimal use can cause some minor performance issues with your A/C, mainly caused by dust or debris build-ups. Sometimes, however, a disused A/C can present more than just minor maintenance issues. In these instances, you may be considering repairing your A/C or perhaps even organising for a complete air conditioning replacement.
But how do you know if my air conditioner needs to be replaced? Our own HVAC specialists here at Jacob Refrigeration have seen their fair share of A/C units that are clearly on their last leg, but even with their decades of experience, they know just how tricky it can be to make the final call regarding air conditioner replacements, especially if the unit seems to have experienced faults within its warranty period.
That’s why today, we’ll be outlining six particular signs that may indicate an air conditioning system could do with a full system replacement rather than a repair. Read on to develop a stronger understanding of the warning signs that an air conditioning replacement is required.
6 signs your air conditioner may need to be replaced
1. Your A/C unit is producing strange smells
The first warning sign that most homeowners tend to notice is an odd, unpleasant smell emanating from their A/C unit. In most cases, A/C units that are producing strange smells are likely to contain mould or mildew due to excess moisture build-ups within your ductwork. With this in mind, A/C units that are producing strange smells could actually be a hazard and may even contribute to occupants of your home developing lung or chest infections.
It’s well worth assessing the filtration system in your A/C unit to rule out dirty filters as the cause of any foul smells. If your unit’s filtration system does seem to be in good condition, however, there’s a chance that your A/C unit has become faulty and is negatively affecting the air quality throughout your home.
2. Your A/C unit is emitting odd sounds
Modern air conditioners that are in peak condition should operate almost silently. And even if your home’s air conditioning system is a little on the older side, chances are high that you’re very familiar with all its normal sounds, chirps, or chimes, so much so that any sounds that are out of the ordinary will be sure to stick out like a sore thumb.
If your air conditioning unit has suddenly started emitting strange, jarring sounds, then it’s highly likely that the unit is malfunctioning or has become faulty. You should feel encouraged to take note of the odd sounds and their triggers in order to provide your air conditioning replacement or repairs team with detailed information that can then help guide them in their own diagnostics or decision making.
3. Your A/C unit is failing to deliver set temperatures
There’s no point in running your A/C if it can’t actually cool your home’s interiors effectively. This particular sign is worth addressing sooner rather than later, as you won’t want your home to be consuming energy unnecessarily.
If you’ve discovered that your split system air conditioner can be running for hours at a time with next to no drops in your home’s interior temperature, then your A/C unit could very well be contending with a damaged compressor at the very least. It’s recommended that you consult a HVAC service provider like our team at Jacob Refrigeration in order to effectively investigate this potentially costly fault before considering an air conditioning replacement.
4. Your A/C unit is short cycling
Short cycling effectively refers to your air conditioning system requiring an increasingly disproportionate amount of time to ‘cool down’ than it actually runs. In other words, most of the energy consumed in order for your air conditioning unit to run is simply spent on facilitating that unit’s performance cycle rather than it actually performing as intended.
Although cycling is a natural component in the performance of all modern air conditioning systems, short cycling is purely a power guzzler, and inhibits your air conditioner from actually running efficiently. If you have reason to believe that your A/C unit is short cycling, you should consult your local HVAC specialists for an air conditioning replacement or perhaps even consult your air conditioner manufacturers, if your unit is still within its warranty period.
5. Your A/C unit is leaking
A build up of condensation on your air conditioning unit could be indicative of a refrigerant leak in a refrigerated cooling system, or other forms of internal damage in other air conditioning systems. Regardless of what the cause of the leak may be, excess moisture build up can lead to additional concerns if it’s not addressed in a timely manner, including the development of mould or mildew, or potentially even rot at the point where your A/C unit is installed into the wall.
Excess moisture build up can also cause some serious hazards both due to the presence of moisture around electrical components, as well as the growing risk of mould or mildew negatively affecting air quality. For this reason, it’s highly recommended that you contact a HVAC specialist as soon as this particular sign is first detected to drastically reduce the risk of greater repairs being required for both your A/C unit as well as your home.
6. Your A/C unit frequently requires repairs
Finally, if this isn’t the first time this year that you’ve contacted the team at Jacob Refrigeration to come out and inspect your air conditioner unit, then chances are it may actually be cheaper to replace your unit entirely rather than continuously foot the bill for air conditioner repairs. This rings especially true if your current air conditioning unit is older than ten years old, as chances are its running costs may be drastically higher than the costs of a modern air conditioning replacement. It can also help you reduce your carbon footprint. We’ll discuss this point on costs in a little more depth below.
What costs to expect when replacing your air conditioner?
Depending on the size of your unit and the complexity of the installation job, your air conditioner replacement may cost anywhere between $600 and around $10,000.
Despite the upfront costs associated with your air conditioning replacement, it’s well worth noting that your A/C replacement may actually end up saving you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the long term. How so? Simply because outdated air conditioning units are infamous for their excess resource consumption habits. Even installing a newer evaporative cooling system could save your home from unnecessarily using hundreds of litres of water from your quarterly billing cycle, allowing you and your family to experience some major savings with regards to your household water bills.
Similarly, newer air conditioning systems are also designed to be more energy efficient, so you may even be able to enjoy a higher energy star rating following your air conditioner replacement, and experience additional savings over the foreseeable future.
Why use Jacob Refrigeration for your air conditioning replacement
When it comes to the installation, maintenance, or replacement of air conditioning and heating units in Melbourne, our team of HVAC specialists at Jacob Refrigeration can guarantee professional quality service at competitive rates, as well as your satisfaction. Call us at (03) 9543 8000 to inquire about our air conditioning replacement services today, or fill out our inquiry form online today to receive a free no obligation quote.
