A 20-year-old air conditioning system can be incredibly inefficient, consuming up to 6 kWh of electricity to cool an average-sized home. In comparison, a modern air conditioning system could cool the same house with just 1.71 kWh of electricity. Most 20-year-old central air conditioners have efficiency ratings from 8 SEER to 12 SEER, but some may have a SEER rating as low as 7 if they were manufactured in the early 1980s. Modern air conditioners typically last around 20 years, while older models may only last 10 to 15 years. This is due to the fact that new technology strives to improve the efficiency of an air conditioner.
However, if you've spent a lot of money on your current unit and are looking to reduce your losses, you may be tempted to hire a cheap contractor. But this could be a mistake, as older air conditioners have an efficiency rating of 10 and consume a lot of electricity. Replacing your old air conditioner with a new, high-efficiency reverse-cycle unit is the best way to stay comfortable, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. The SEER rating (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) calculates the total cooling production during a normal season and divides it by the electrical energy consumed during the same phase to measure the efficiency of an air conditioner. If your repairman has been around more often than usual for inspections, cleaning, and maintenance, it's likely that your air conditioner has reached the end of its useful life. The classic signs that your air conditioner can't be repaired are its increasing inability to cool and dehumidify the space, the overwhelming amount of energy it consumes and the resulting electricity bill every month, and the incessant amount of repairs it requires to keep running.
If you're in a position to replace your air conditioning system, make sure you size the unit appropriately compared to your living space and don't just make it bigger. It's important to understand that an old air conditioner will keep trying hard to lower the temperature in your room as directed by your thermostat. But why is it necessary to replace it? Is this the ideal move and when should you do it? What is the SEER rating of a 20 year old air conditioner? The answer is simple: replacing an old air conditioner with a new one will help you save money in the long run and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
