When the central air conditioner in your greater Cincinnati area home acts up, you're faced with a dilemma: air conditioner repair or replacement? Several factors contribute to this decision, including the condition of your home’s ductwork, insulation and the age of your current air conditioner.

Ductwork

Investing in a new central air conditioner will only pay off if your home’s ductwork is in good shape. Leaky ducts can rob your system of between 10 and 30 percent of the expensively chilled air moving through them. Signs your ducts leak include:

• Streaks of dust and dirt on the outside of ducts near connections
• Blasts of warm air at startup
• Particulate flying out of registers and vents
• Visible gaps, rips or holes in formed or flexible ducts

A reliable HVAC technician can test your home’s ducts for pressure, locate air leaks and seal the ducts. This should be done before replacing an air conditioner.

Insulation

Poor insulation can also cause any system to perform inefficiently. Sealing air leaks, applying weatherstripping and caulk, and adding insulation will increase  an older central air conditioner's efficiency so you feel cool again. Proper insulation can allow you to buy a smaller new unit, boosting cooling output and cutting energy costs.

Especially check the attic of your Cincinnati area home to ensure no ductwork runs through the untreated air up there. If ductwork is in place, insulate it. Duct blankets are easily and quickly attached and will prevent heat from hot attic air from invading the cold ducts.

Age

If your current system is more than a decade old and out of warranty, air conditioner repair may be more expensive than replacement. The refrigerant change from R-22 to environmentally friendly R-410A means an old system can't be recharged easily. Older air conditioners are likely to fall below the mandatory seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of 13, while modern units are available with SEER ratings up to 24.5.

For more help deciding between air conditioner repair or replacement on your Cincinnati area home’s older central air conditioner, contact us at Tri-County Heating & Cooling.

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