Before we proceed, let us make it clear that if your air conditioner is over 10 years old and is still cooling your house perfectly well, you don’t need to change it. Air conditioners last for 20 years, though AC life expectancy in Dubai could be lesser (15 years) due to the scorching and humid weather.
Yes, a 10-year-old AC can still work fine, especially if you have an essential maintenance contract at cool care dubai .
Our residential annual maintenance contract includes three AC maintenance checks. On each service, we conduct a 14-step AC check, including a complete review, meticulous disinfection, diagnosis, repair, and problem solving. Our experts are also on-call, 24/7, for emergency AC services.
But if your AC is older than 10 years and showing signs such as the following, then consider replacing AC.
Your AC Is Blowing Warm Air
You are feeling extremely hot even though the AC is on. You hold up your arms to allow you to feel the air from the AC vent and detect a breeze, as you should, but it is warm and not cool.
There may be numerous reasons for this, such as a tripped circuit breaker, blocked drain lines, or a bad capacitor.
It may be that your AC blower, air handler or compressor circuit tripped. In such a situation, switching off the applicable breaker switches of your AC for a minimum of 10 seconds can reset the tripped circuit and provide the cold air again.
Your drain lines could be plugged. This can create problems, including build-up of moisture that could eventually wreak havoc on electrical components and negatively impact the AC’s ability to cool. In AC units with float switches, the existence of backed-up water results in a significantly more immediate consequence: an automatic shut-down of the system to prevent water damage.
A bad capacitor may also be causing the problem. The capacitor turns the fan or compressor (or both) on, so a faulty capacitor means a malfunctioning AC unit. The solution here would be capacitor replacement.
Whatever the reason for this failure (and there are other reasons), an AC maintenance contractor can know for certain and fix it for you. Resetting your circuit breakers is the only thing you can do yourself if you don’t have specialized AC repair expertise.
Your DEWA Bill Is Rising Due to Your AC
Is your Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) bill going up each month? We can’t simply jump to conclusions that the issue is with your AC, but there are some quick checks you can do to identify whether it’s the culprit.
Take a moment to review your electricity bills over the last 12 months. Monitor how much energy your home used during those months; i.e., look at your power usage, expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Ignoring the spikes due to the naturally higher AC load in the summer months, contrast your power consumption in the last 12-month period and your power usage in the preceding year directly afterwards. If there was a noticeable jump in the year-to-year line and numbers:
Remember whether you installed new electrical appliances. If the answer is affirmative, check whether the new appliances can explain the rise in energy consumption.
In case you do not have any new electrical appliances and your AC is no longer cooling your house as efficiently as before, it is likely the issue is with your AC.
It Takes Longer (and Longer) to Cool Your House
If it takes longer to cool your home, your unit can have a refrigerant leak. This is among the most common issues with old ACs.
If you do have a gas leak, topping off your system with refrigerant is not a solution, since your refill might only last a few days. The fix is to get a technician to locate the leak and seal it.
If your AC system is old and employs an older model of refrigerant, though, it is better to replace it entirely. In addition, topping off refrigerant levels will not fix the issue; eventually, the leak will only increase.
Replacement is the answer if closing off the leak does not fix the issue. Your system can have additional leaks in less accessible or not readily identifiable areas.
It’s Noisy
Air conditioners are noisy because they contain moving components. They shouldn’t creak and thump so loudly that you’ll need to yell just to get noticed.
When this occurs, chances are you’ll need to replace the big items, including the compressor, evaporator coil, outdoor fan unit, and condenser coil. These pieces of equipment can cost a lot of money, and you may prefer to purchase an entire new unit (with all-new items) rather than putting in a brand-new component on an old unit.
AC Repair vs. Replacement
Each AC problem you face will leave you with the option of AC repair or replacement. Ideally, you would consult your reliable maintenance firm in Dubai. The alternative is to apply the decision-making guide below:
When to Repair an AC Unit
Repair should be considered if ALL of the following are true:
Your AC unit is reasonably new—i.e., less than 10 years old
Your AC unit and system are quarterly checked, serviced and maintained.
There’s a simple, cost-effective solution to the problem.
When to Replace an AC Unit
Replace if ANY of the following conditions apply:
Your AC unit is more than 10 years old.
Your system and AC unit don’t get regular inspections, servicing and maintenance.
Replacing the faulty part is costly, particularly in comparison with the price of a new unit.
Suppose your AC is over 10 years old and out of warranty, but you do have a vital maintenance contract that covers quarterly AC inspections, evaluations, and troubleshooting. Attempt repairs first.
But hear your maintenance contractor out if they are adamant about replacing the AC. Replace your AC if the replacement parts that you will have to purchase to fix the problem cost you more in proportion to buying an entirely new AC unit.
When Your AC Needs to Be Replaced
Air-conditioners usually last 10 to 20 years, but the AC life in Dubai can be less due to the hot climate. How do you know when to change your AC unit?
If your AC is 10 years or older and not working properly, it is time to replace it. Some signs that an AC unit should be replaced are warm air coming through AC vents,
higher energy costs, longer time to cool your home, and noise.
The rule of thumb to use when determining if AC repair or replacement is needed is the price. If you need to replace an expensive part, it is probably more advisable to purchase a new AC rather than replacing a new piece in a broken-down unit.
cool care dubaiuIt offers AC inspection, repair, and maintenance, among other necessary services. We can assist you in deciding if your AC should be repaired or replaced.
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