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New Air Conditioner May Make Better Sense Than Costly Repairs

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By KEN SHEINKOPF McClatchy-Tribune News Service

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 14, 2008

We drive a pretty old car and every time it needs repair work, I go through the math of figuring if I'm better off fixing it or getting a new one. Now we're hearing some funny sounds from our home's 11-year-old air conditioner, and I'm having the same thoughts about putting some money into fixing it or if I'm better off getting a new one. How can I make the right choice?

You've made a good analogy here, as I see similarities between the two items. Both are major cash investments and both need some maintenance and little fix-ups during their lifetimes. There's really no precise way to measure when it is time to stop the repairs and make a new purchase, but there are certainly some guidelines on what makes the most sense.

You've gotten a number of years out of your air conditioner.

Sure, its projected lifespan is probably still several more years, but many factors can influence exactly how long the unit will keep operating. I've got a home near the beach and the salt air does a real number on the outdoor compressor in as little as five or six years, although I have friends up North who are still using 20-year-old air conditioners that are working just fine.

The best rule of thumb I've heard for an air-conditioner replacement is to seriously consider getting a new one when major components like the motor or the compressor wear out. Yes, you might have problems with some parts over the years, but repair costs are usually reasonable and will keep the unit operating for some time.

That is probably the same basic reasoning you use when you decide if you need a new car or not, but there's one major difference here that can't be ignored - the tremendous advances in technology in energy-using equipment such as air conditioners that make today's units a much better investment. That means spending a few thousand dollars on a new unit, although considerably more than it would cost to make repairs, can give you one where the significant energy cost savings will repay that purchase cost over its lifetime. Even the most fuel-efficient cars can't make such a statement.
Air conditioners on the market today use considerably less energy than systems built 25 years ago, or even five or 10 years ago. Federal minimum efficiency standards have increased in recent years, assuring you that even the basic system you buy today will be significantly more energy-efficient than what was available just a few years ago.

Obviously, if you live in a part of the country where you have extended periods of hot weather, then it makes even more sense to buy a new energy-efficient air conditioner because you'll be using it more and enjoying even greater savings. But even if you only use it a few months a year, rising energy costs make the economics favor replacing an older system needing serious repairs with a new highly efficient model.

When people ask me how they can choose the right air conditioner for their home, I always give the same answer: Buy the most efficient unit that you can afford, and make sure that it is properly sized for the home. The minimum SEER rating (the standard efficiency rating used on the equipment) might be 13, but if you are willing to pay the extra money for a 14, 16 or even higher-rated one, you will enjoy even greater energy savings. And if the system is too large or too small for your home, it won't cool properly, won't keep the house as comfortable as it should be, and can make your bills higher than they need to be.

With gas bills as high as they are these days, doesn't it make sense to buy an efficient car that gets high miles-per-gallon? Likewise, it makes sense to buy a home air conditioner that uses less energy to cool your home.

Ken Sheinkopf is a communications specialist with the American Solar Energy Society, www.ases .org. Send your energy questions to Ken Sheinkoph at askken @ases.org.

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