Nobody wants to wind up with an AC unit that abruptly dies and won’t turn back on. In Katy, TX, you rely on your AC to maintain a comfortable temperature so you always feel comfortable in your home. However, an old air conditioning system can suddenly fail and leave you scrambling to find a reliable AC company in Katy, TX.
This is why you should know how to tell how old an AC unit is. When you have a better idea of your AC unit’s age, you can know when it’s time for inspections, routine maintenance, or AC replacement.
How Long Do AC Units Last?
With proper care and maintenance, your air conditioner can last a decade or longer. The anticipated lifespan for a central AC unit in Texas is 10 to 15 years, but your unit’s lifespan may vary. Here are some factors that can impact how long your AC unit lasts:
- Whether the unit was properly installed
- Ongoing environmental factors like heat and high humidity
- Inclement weather, such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and blizzards
- Thermostat settings
How You Can Look Up Your AC Unit and Learn Its Age
Learning your AC unit’s age can provide you with valuable insight. But you might wonder how to tell how old an AC unit is. Your air conditioner should display technical specifications, like the nameplate, manufacturing date, and installation date, somewhere on the unit that you can verify.
Check the Condenser Nameplate
All AC units come with a condenser nameplate for reference. You can spot this on your home’s outdoor unit, typically on the upper-righthand corner of the nameplate, which is on the backside of the outdoor cabinet.
This nameplate should display the unit’s manufacturing date. If not, you can check the brand, model number, and serial number on your AC unit’s plate to get an idea of when your air conditioner was in production and, ultimately, how old it might be.
Find the Manufacturing Date
Looking up your air conditioning system’s manufacturing date means interpreting the model or serial number. You can locate this on the outside cabinet of your AC unit. The manufacturer date is commonly an abbreviation, like MFR DATE, which tells you your AC unit’s “date of birth,” so to speak. This will help you determine the age of your air conditioner. However, this isn’t always the case; sometimes, the manufacturer’s date might be missing from your unit.
If a manufacturing date isn’t visible on the outdoor unit, then you can still take note of the model number and serial number. These often vary between manufacturers and models, so keeping those details in mind will ease the process. You can look up and decode either number with a quick internet search. For example, if your unit’s serial number is 7754F411026, then the three digits following “F” might point to the manufacturing month and year, which, in this case, would be April 2011.
Verify the Installation Date
An AC unit’s installation date likely falls shortly after its manufacturing date. This is a great way to learn whether your AC unit may be due for repair or replacement, depending on the date. You can also call the contractor who installed your AC unit and find out from them if they kept records of the installation.
Signs That Point to an Aging AC Unit
In addition to looking up a technical specification, your AC unit may show signs indicating that it’s on the older side of the spectrum. Here are some symptoms commonly exhibited by aging AC units:
- Struggling to heat or cool your home
- Emitting strange noises like banging, rattling, or clanking
- Increasing utility bills, particularly during seasons with extreme temperatures
- Needing more repairs more frequently
Benefits of Knowing Your AC Unit’s Age
Learning how old your AC unit is can provide you with valuable information to avoid unwanted hardship and save money in the long run.
Planning Ahead
After discovering your air conditioner’s age, you can compare its years in service to the expected lifespan of an AC to determine the best course of action. If the unit is less than a decade old and hasn’t received service in the past year or so, then now might be a good time to call your local professionals for an inspection.
Avoiding Future Repairs
AC units become more prone to breaking down as they age. Oftentimes, these repairs become more costly as the problem becomes more severe, which can cut into your budget. Learning your air conditioner’s age helps you get ahead of that situation and prevent repairs from sneaking up on you.
Energy Efficiency
In addition to increased failure rates, old AC units struggle to meet ongoing household demands. This is especially true in a state like Texas, where summers reach brutal temperatures and take a toll on air conditioners every year. The result is that your unit works harder to provide the comfort you need, which translates to increased power usage and higher energy bills.
Learning that your AC unit is on its last legs and replacing it means improving your home’s overall comfort and quality of life while reducing energy usage and costs.
Get a New AC Unit From the Experts at BVS Home Experts Today
After learning your AC unit’s age, you might discover that your air conditioner is nearing the end of its life. Even if you think your unit has a couple of years left in it, factors like outside humidity affect air conditioning, from your system’s efficiency and performance to its overall lifespan.
At BVS, we’re the lead heating and AC repair company servicing Katy, TX, with over 30 years of industry experience. Our qualified team receives continual training on the ins and outs of HVAC equipment, including how to tell how old an AC unit is. This means we deliver fast, friendly, and high-quality service to keep your unit running smoothly or replace it when it’s too old.
Contact BVS Home Experts at (281) 391-1510 to receive an estimate and discover how we can go the extra mile for you today!
