Your air conditioner used to run like a dream, quietly purring as it cooled your home efficiently and effortlessly. Lately, however, getting your rooms cool has started taking longer, and keeping them cool has become a daily struggle. You’ve also noticed a gradual hike in your electricity bills, and the once-unobtrusive unit has developed an alarming repertoire of rattles and wheezes.
It’s clear your AC is in distress. What’s not clear is, “Do you need AC replacement?”
You know what they say. There’s a time to hold on and a time to let go. It’s never wise to keep spending money on a losing proposition, but it can be pretty wasteful to spend good money on a new AC if your old AC will be just fine after minor repairs.
How do you know it’s time to let go? You don’t, at least not with absolute certainty. But there will be signs, including the following:
Mounting Repair Costs
Like everything, air conditioners wear out over time. Occasional fixes are expected: a new air filter here, a refrigerant refill there, and an error code from time to time — that’s normal.
What’s not standard is an AC breaking down every couple of months. That means your repair costs are going up. If your repair bill this year is many times higher than your usual maintenance costs, maybe something’s seriously wrong with your AC.
Get it seen by a specialist, and have them list everything wrong with your unit and likely to break down a couple or several months later. Next, get a quote for repairs: How much would it take you to get everything wrong fixed?
If the amount is close to the cost of a new unit with similar specifications and capacity, definitely get an AC replacement.
Rising Energy Bill
Apparently, ACs account for around 60-75% of a Dubai villa’s electricity bills. That’s at least two hundred dirhams monthly to cool just one room.
A high electricity cost is expected in Dubai. That said, if you don’t have any new electric appliances and are not doing anything new, such as running the washing machine four hours longer, setting the refrigerator thermostat so it’s much cooler, using the water heater more, or opting for a lower temperature in rooms, any sudden increase in your electricity bill is suspicious.
Since your air-conditioning units contribute the bulk of your energy costs, they’re the first thing you should test for increased energy consumption. As systems age, they lose efficiency, and ACs are no exception. Inefficient ACs must run longer to achieve the temperatures you’ve set, and the outcome is an increase in your electricity consumption.
You can set up a little experiment to determine if it’s your AC jacking up your energy bill. You can get your trusted maintenance company to set up a submeter for your AC and observe how much power it’s consuming month-on-month. If it’s on an upward trajectory, that’s a sign you will need to replace your AC sooner or later.
Uneven Cooling
One room feels like a freezer, while another is uncomfortably warm. You tweak the thermostat, but no matter what you do, your AC can’t seem to keep the temperature even and steady.
Uneven cooling may be due to compressor problems, blocked vents, insufficient insulation, or leaking or clogged ductwork. Any of the non-compressor issues should be an easy and affordable fix. However, if it’s a compressor problem, you have a decision to make.
If your unit’s under warranty, you can replace the compressor at a reasonable cost. Otherwise, repairs may cost you an arm and a leg, which can make AC replacement the wiser option.
Loud Noises
Loud noises from your AC can be alarming, but not all indicate a need for replacement.
Regardless of the gravity of the underlying cause, however, you must get a noisy AC checked by a competent AC service and repair technician. They’ll be the only one who can tell you exactly why your AC is making those sounds, how serious the problem is and how the underlying issue or issues may be addressed.
Generally speaking, you must not ignore the following AC noises:
- Banging: associated with compressor problems
- Humming: can be due to electrical problems
- Buzzing: may be due to faulty fan motors or loose components
- Rattling: may be caused by a malfunctioning electrical contractor
If the noise is due to a compressor or a major component issue, you may be better off replacing your AC than spending money on expensive parts replacement and costly fixes.
Unpleasant Smells
You don’t expect your AC to blow air that smells like lavender, but you don’t expect it to give off an unpleasant scent, either. A burning odour could indicate overheating electrical components, a musty smell might mean mould growth inside the ducts or coils, and a chemical smell could be due to a refrigerant leak.
Overheated electrical components may be replaced, and refrigerant leaks may be sealed. The mould in your AC, however, may be more challenging to resolve. This one requires thorough AC cleaning and disinfection because any leftover mould could compromise your and your family’s health.
If you want to be sure, replace your air conditioner. Don’t forget all the connected components, such as the vents and the ductwork; they may need to be removed and replaced, too.
Replace or Repair?
Hanging onto an ageing or faulty AC might seem like the frugal thing to do, but in some cases, it’s not the practical and logical option. If your AC shows the above signs, get an AC service and repair technician to check your unit and advise whether the problem calls for a repair or a replacement.
Recent Comments