For some homeowners, a visit from a technician to repair a central air conditioning unit brings the news that it is time for a replacement. For others, however, the decision to replace a unit happens before it stops working completely. Don’t wait until you are stuck without air conditioning on a hot day. Use these five signs to help you decide if the end is near for your central air conditioning unit.Schedule maintenance is important to ensure your unit is running efficiently, but when the HVAC technician knows you, your kids, and your dog by name, it might be time to consider a new AC unit. A simple, occasional repair will keep your unit running, but continuous repairs are expensive and a sign of decline.A well-functioning AC unit can keep up with changing outdoor conditions and maintain a comfortable, steady temperature at the right humidity levels. If your central AC unit used to keep your home consistently comfortable, but stopped doing so, it’s time for an upgrade. 3. Rising Energy Bills.

Air conditioning units that are starting to fail may consume more energy than they did when they functioned properly. This usually happens because the AC unit now needs to run longer or more frequently to maintain a consistent temperature. If your energy bills are on the rise, your AC unit may be the culprit. If your central air conditioning unit is making banging, grinding, or clanging noises, it may be on its last legs. Units that turn off and on frequently are also indicative of poor operation.thin window air conditioning unitsMost central air conditioning units last at least ten years; ac unit on wheelsa well-maintained unit can continue to function for about 15 years. parts of an central air conditioning unitIf your unit is more than ten years old and you are facing an expensive repair, you should consider replacing the unit.

Even if your air conditioner appears to be working properly, newer models can work more efficiently and can cut your energy bills by as much as 20 percent. The most inconvenient time to have your central air conditioning unit break down is in the middle of a summer heat wave. Your home will be uncomfortable, and repair technicians will be working overtime to accommodate all of the service calls. You may have to wait for several days–or even weeks in some areas–to get an appointment. Even then, you may have to wait for an additional period before a new unit is shipped and a technician is available to install it. The best time to replace an aging or failing central air conditioning unit is now, before the heat of the summer sets in. Most heating and cooling companies are slow during the spring as the winter rush has calmed and the summer season has yet to set in. Remember that your air conditioning unit can only run efficiently if your home is keeping the cool air in and the hot air out.

That’s why we strongly recommend a home energy assessment prior to installing a new HVAC system to ensure your home is properly insulated and sealed. Thinking it’s time for a new central air conditioning unit? Get started with a free home energy assessment today!air conditioning upgrade rebate air conditioner buyer's guide​ see more To qualify for a rebate, have your equipment installed by a participating contractor in accordance with the APS Quality Installation Standards.rebate guidelines​ current APS residential customer installation of a new unit replacing an existing heat pump or AC install main components of the unit within 5 days of each other rebate amounts are per unit for residential systems. a maximum of 5 units per home qualify (the rebate applies to whole-house heat pumps and AC systems; window units and mini-splits do not qualify) participating contractor must submit rebate application into the online system within 6 months of installation date

please allow 6-8 weeks for rebate processing Email or call us at 602-371-3636 (metro Phoenix area) or 888-890-9730 (outside Phoenix) for a free referral of up to 3 qualified contractors. All of the participating contractors are also listed here. are members of the Arizona Heat Pump Council are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau and Arizona Registrar of Contractors have signed performance pledges and participate in a customer dispute resolution process 1 2 3 4    nextReplace HVAC Compressor for Air Conditioner Repair - Question - Richard - I am an HVAC technician and have read all of your articles on refrigeration and compressors. Great information and it has helped to hone my skills and offer better service for my customers. I was wondering what your experience is with replacing compressors. How do you arrive at the decision to replace a compressor technically speaking of course? Do you recommend repairing the air conditioner by replacing the compressor or replacing the central air conditioner?

I look forward to reading your answer. Brett Des Moines, WA Replace HVAC Compressor | Air Conditioner Repair AnswerReplace Air Conditioner Compressor | HVAC Refrigeration - Answer - Brett - Thanks for the great comment and hopefully I can help you. Of course with many of the questions I get I have to assume a few things such as are you talking about residential or commercial. While most of it is the same there are some minor nuances that you need to to understand or know when making the distinction between residential and commercial HVAC refrigeration. I will assume you are talking of residential air conditioners or heat pumps and making the decision as an HVAC technician to replace the compressor when a failure occurs. Of course your compressor troubleshooting skills are definitely important when you come to the conclusion that the compressor is bad.I have been behind unscrupulous or ignorant technicians who told the customer the compressor was bad only to find something else very simple that fixed the problem.

It was an easy process to get the compressor up and running again. You do not want to make that mistake because almost every customer will call for a second opinion especially when you tell them the cost of replacing their compressor in their air conditioner or heat pump. So make sure you are 100% certain in your compressor knowledge and troubleshooting skills before you condemn an HVAC compressor in an air conditioner or heat pump. Your customer will appreciate your expert skills also. It’s simple, make sure you check all the basics. Replace HVAC Compressor | Air Conditioner Repair - Breaking it DownResidential compressors in air conditioners and heat pumps are hermetically sealed and it is impossible to take them apart and check for a bad piston or bearing or check the oil level.  With any compressor failure you can have either a mechanical failure or an electrical failure. Since the compressor has an electric motor inside of it and because it has mechanical components inside of it an understanding of how each type of compressor works will help you understand the compressor and different things that can go wrong with the compressor.

Air Conditioner Repair - Due Diligence TroubleshootingAnother thing to understand is why the problem with the compressor happened in the first place. If the compressor locked up then you need to find out why it locked up? If the windings are burned up then you need to find out why the windings are burned up. Some of the answers to those questions are easy with some of the answers are not so easy. One time I spent hours trying to find out why a compressor failed and finally I found the problem. It was a problem that resulted from poor installation skills of the installing contractor.A small bead of solder had found its way into the piston metering device. The bead of solder would plug the metering device and cause the head pressure to go very high. The bypass valve in the compressor opened but it happened often enough that eventually the reed valves inside the compressor either busted or bent way out of shape. Anyhow, the customer appreciated my diligence even though their patience wore thin with my relentless troubleshooting to find the root cause of the problem.

I didn’t want to simply replace the compressor only to have it fail again.Related Link: Why is the compressor overheating? Delve deeper and learn more about HVAC. Electrical – Replace HVAC CompressorThe same can be said about burn outs. A burn out is likely the result of poor installation practices by the installing contractor and boils down to a lack of proper refrigeration training and poor education of the installing HVAC technician. When a compressor burns out and you find the electrical part of the compressor has a problem from your troubleshooting skills (such as Ohming the Windings) then you need to test the oil for acid. It is not always the case but sometimes when you have the electrical problem it is from poor installations the installer did not properly evacuate the refrigeration system and get all the  moisture out of the system. This created a problem with sludge and producing acid when the moisture mixed with the oil. Eventually, the acid eats away at the windings and you end up with shorted windings.

It happens and no matter how many times I tell homeowners that the lowest bidder is not always the best many times they go for the lowest bidder and end up paying way more in the long run than if they would have chosen the contractor that may charge a little more but the job is done right especially with the new installation. On the other hand, I have run into some true knuckleheads who say they know what they are doing but really do not because they never learned how to do it right in the first place.I’m talking about installing a new air conditioner or heat pump and getting it right the first time with the refrigeration system. Always use nitrogen and a micron gauge for deep vacuums. Do the triple evacuation. In all the years I have been doing this I have never had any one of my customers call me back because of a burned out compressor because of poor installation skills.  I have had problems with defective compressors or a condenser that got struck by lightening but never had the oil come back positive for acid after one of my installations.

Mechanical – Replace HVAC CompressorMechanical lock ups are becoming less and less frequent because more people have delay timers in their newer thermostats or the equipment has a delay timer in the system somewhere. And I have some stories to tell about delay timers but for brevity sake will refrain from telling them. With the old mechanical thermostats, with a heat pump or air conditioner system that does not have a delay timer installed in it, a customer can innocently kill their compressor. By short-cycling the on and off switch too fast.They go turn it to cooling mode and then change their mind and turn it off and then turn it back to cooling when it was already running and the compressor cuts off and then back on again in fast succession and you have caused a compressor to be mechanically locked up.  Since the compressor is hermetically sealed it is impossible to tear it apart and unlock it. Sometimes it can be forced to restart and sometimes it cannot. It is still a problem and needs to be addressed.

A good technician is always looking out for the customer and will recommend a fix for this whether it is changing out the thermostat or adding a delay on break relay in the system at the “Y” contacts.HVAC Repairs - ConclusionFinally, a good HVAC technician will always strive to learn new things and give the customer the best service possible using that knowledge. When you make the recommendation to the customer to replace the compressor make sure you tell them that you know why the compressor failed and that you will correct the problem with the compressor so it does not happen again.  Make the repair and you will have a happy customer that is confident in your skills and this customer will tell others about your service and you will stay busy.To learn more about HVAC and refrigeration click here.Replace HVAC Compressor for Air Conditioner RepairBuying New HVAC Equipment? Get it right with the contractor and your purchase decisions.Visit Our Gas Furnace CategoryYou might be interest in visiting our Gas Furnace CategoryHVAC Technical Information and References Category IndexReference lots of HVAC information on many things like the NEC and HVAC, Mechanical Code, and more!!