8 Signs Your Air Conditioner Needs Replacement

As much as any homeowner would like things to last, everything in or on a home has to be replaced at least once. That is definitely true of heating and air conditioning appliances. If your air conditioning hasn’t been replaced while you have owned your home there are some signs cues that you should probably replace it soon.

1. You Own the House for More Than 10 Years Without Replacing the AC
This is a big sign that maybe, just maybe, you should have the air conditioner checked. It, as well as your furnace, should be checked and maintained at least once a year. If you haven’t done the maintenance at all, then it’s overdue. Most AC units, particularly central air and heat pumps are no longer designed to last past a decade or two. If you have lived in your home for at least 10 years, and the AC unit wasn’t new when you bought the home, it may be time to replace it.

2. You Hear a Lot of Rattling When the AC Turns On
Air conditioners as a whole generally just hum. You may or may not hear the hum when you are closest to the area of the house where the main components are installed. If it rattles instead of hums, or makes any really loud noises, an HVAC technician will need to check it out. If the problem is severe enough, it may cost less to just replace the machine rather than repair it.

3. It’s Smoking, Fuming, or on Fire
Hopefully, if the AC is doing this, you are home to see it or smell it and turn off the machine. Call the fire department right away. Then call for an HVAC contractor to come remove the unit and put in a new one. Only the HVAC contractor can remove an appliance with refrigerant, so after the fire is out or the smoke has been dampened, the contractor should be your next call.

4. They Don’t Make Parts for It Anymore
Weird as it sounds, you might have an air conditioner that is so old they don’t make replacement parts for it anymore. If your HVAC technician can’t fix it and can’t order parts, this unit has to go. It may even have parts or components that have been outlawed or recalled a while ago and the unit is no longer serviceable.

5. Your HVAC Technician Reports Leaks and Holes
Many of the parts inside the condenser (i.e., the box outside) are made of metal. Over time, that metal can rust and have holes. Through the holes refrigerant can leak. It’s an environmental hazard to leave it that way. If your technician reports a lot of holes and leaks, this old air conditioner can’t be salvaged. You need a new one.

6. Your Home Is Too Hot but the AC Is Cranked
A sure sign that your AC unit needs to be replaced is a home that is too hot and an AC unit that is cranked to the coldest temperature possible. At the coldest setting, your home should feel like an iceberg. If you’re still sweating and uncomfortable, but you set the thermostat for 50 degrees (the lowest possible setting for any thermostat), your air conditioner is officially done for.

Additionally, if you have closed all the blinds or drapes, checked the thermostat to see if it is functioning properly by setting it to “heat” and getting heat, and have every window closed, but the AC still isn’t’ working, it’s the AC unit.

7. You Smell Something Funny
Air-conditioned air shouldn’t smell funny. By funny, it means it shouldn’t smell like chemicals or off-odors. If the odors are also making you dizzy or nauseous, turn off the AC. Call an HVAC technician or contractor right away. Half the job of an AC unit is to clean the cooled air it makes (i.e., “condition” it) and therefore it shouldn’t smell funny.

8. Something About the Unit Is Now Illegal
It’s rare now, but some really old air conditioners may contain illegal refrigerant (R22) or dangerous parts. If you are finally getting around to having an HVAC technician check out your AC unit and it’s discovered that there are illegal parts or refrigerant involved, you have to replace the unit.