Questions about My Air Conditioner

My Air Conditioning doesn't seem to cool like it did before. Why?

There are many factors that can contribute to loss of efficiency for your A/C. The primary cause for poor cooling is a dirty air filter. Before calling a service technician, you should check your filter. Go to the"Filters and Air Quality" section to learn more about your filter. In addition, over time blowers, indoor coils, and outdoor coils will start to get dirty as well. This affects the air flow which, in turn, affects the cooling. If you have an older system, especially if it has not been serviced in a while, and you've noticed a gradual decline in cooling, it is likely you need a thorough cleaning of your equipment.

Does my A/C need to be "recharged" regulary?

In short, No. The refrigerant system is a sealed system. When a system is properly installed, under normal operating conditions, the amount of refrigerant in the system should never decrease, and the refrigerant doesn't go bad. However there are times when there are leaks in a system and you lose refrigerant. If you are constantly having to recharge your system, that means you have a leak, and that really should be found and repaired before recharging the system. There are also times when you may have a major compressor failure that affects the condition of the refrigerant. If this happens, the refrigerant will turn acidic, and in this case will need to be recovered and replaced. In order to ensure that your systems continues to operate at peak efficiency, it is recommended to have your equipment serviced annualy.

Learn more about The Works Maintenance Plan

What is the deal with R-22 refrigerant?

R-22 refrigirant is a "hydrochlorofluorocarbon" or HCFC. What does that mean? That means that because of its chemical makeup, R-22 is a substances that depletes the ozone layer. In order to protect the enviroment, U.S. Eviromental Protection Agency has set in motion a plan to eliminate the production of ozone depleting substances, and replace them with non-ozone depleting substances. For home cooling, the new stanandard is R-410a. The final ruling that was put into effect on January 1, 2015, calls for a drastic annual reduction of the production and import of R-22. By 2020, the production and import of new, "virgin," supplies of R-22 will cease. After that, only R-22 that has been reclamed and recycled will be available. What does that mean for you. It is important to remember that it is the production that is being terminated, not the use. While there is no mandate requiring homeowners to replace and upgrade their R-22 systems, the price of servicing these systems will continue to increase. This may factor into your decision with regard to repairing or replacing your R-22 system.

Should I replace my Air Conditioning system?

As mentiond in the previous answer, a big consideration will be the refrigerant that is in your system. However this is not the only consideration. As with your furnace, if installed properly, the average life of an A/C system is 15-20 years. Other considerations may include:

Operation. Do I have constant, yearly issues with my existing system?
Compressor failure. If you have a R-22 system with a bad compressor, replacement of that compressor with new R-22 refrigerant may not be much cheaper that replacement with a new R-410a system.
Efficiency.

Explain Air Conditioning Efficiency.

The efficiency of an Air Conditioning system is refered to as a SEER rating. This stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. This is the cooling output of the unit divided by the amount of electricity it uses. This number basically allows a person to calculate how many kilowatt-hours an air conditioner will use. However to avoid the math, it is much easier to think in relative terms comparing different SEER ratings.

The minimum SEER rating for air conditioning unit today is 13 SEER. Below is a chart comparing higher SEER ratings to a 13 SEER:

14 SEER Approximately 8% more efficient
16 SEER Approximately 20% more efficient
17 SEER Approximately 24% more efficient
18 SEER Approximately 30% more efficient

It is good to keep in mind that for higher SEER ratings, 16 and up, you almost always have to match it to a proper furnace or air handler to achieve that rating. That means you cannot just add a 18 seer air conditioner to your old furnace and get actually get that efficiency. Unless you are ready to replace your furnace at the same time as your air conditioner, it isn't cost effective to spend the extra money on a high seer system.