When You Know You Need a New Air Conditioner

When your HVAC system starts to act funny or fails to cool your St. Louis home, it’s hard to tell whether you should have your existing AC repaired or if you should buy a new air conditioner. There are certain signs to help you know the difference, and we’ve listed them here. Our technicians at Crystal have repaired and replaced HVAC systems from Jefferson County to Franklin County and we work with the best air conditioning brands in the industry, so be sure to call us to keep cool the rest of summer!   

3 Signs Your Air Conditioner Needs Repair

No matter what type of system you have in your Festus or Farmington home, your air conditioner is going to have problems at some point. Some parts will need to be replaced, some components fail, storms happen to knock out a circuit, etc. and often it just requires a professional HVAC technician to fix it. If your air conditioner is less than 10 years old, we’ll almost always recommend a repair.

Strange Noises

When you hear grinding, squealing, or other odd sounds while your air conditioner is running, you should call Crystal right away. This could indicate a loose belt, a component that needs lubricating, or even a broken motor, and if left unaddressed it could cause the whole system to fail.

Warm or Room Temperature Air

When air is blowing out of your vents but it isn’t cold, something is wrong. It could be something as simple as a capacitor that has gone bad, or something more serious like a refrigerant leak or a failing compressor. We will take a look and let you know if it’s something we can fix and give you an estimated cost.    

Moisture

Leaking liquid could be from a blocked drain tube or it could be from a broken refrigerant line.  Either way, it should be fixed immediately in order to avoid major damage.

3 Signs Your Air Conditioner Needs to be Replaced

If you notice any of these signs, your AC could be ready to fail completely -- meaning you and your family will be left sweating the rest of summer. Contact Crystal right away if your system meets the following descriptions so we can keep you cool and comfortable.

It’s Over 15 Years Old

Most conventional air conditioners will last 12 to 15 years, so if your system is getting up there in age, it doesn’t make sense to keep dumping money into it every time something breaks (and at this age -- things will keep breaking).  

Repairs Are Getting Expensive

It’s often a relief to hear that you can pay to replace a component rather than spring for a whole new unit. But when repairs start to add up -- for instance the condenser is failing and the fan belt is broken, it’s sometimes better to invest in a new air conditioner. In general, most HVAC experts recommend that if repair costs are more than 50% of a new unit, you should just replace it.  

Your Energy Bills Are Increasing

As your air conditioner ages and develops problems, it will  have a harder time keeping up with your comfort demands and stop operating as efficiently - leading to higher energy bills. Today’s federal regulations state that all new air conditioners must have a minimum of 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or the amount of energy required for cooling output), so if you have any doubts about buying a new air conditioner, consider that your energy bills may drop up to 40% with the new system.   

The EPA has a good summary of tell tale signs that it's time to get a new air conditioner.

Wondering When to Replace Your Air Conditioner? We’ll Always Be Honest

When you call us with air conditioning trouble, you can be sure we won’t automatically try to talk you into a new unit. We care about our customers in St.Charles, North County, South County and all over the St. Louis area, which means we want what’s best for your family and your budget. Simply give us a call and we’ll schedule a time to check out your problem and recommend the best plan of action for your individual system. You can trust us to be honest every time because it’s what we’ve been doing since 1965.