Is Your AC a Clunker?

All this talk about cars and clunkers...and you start to wonder...what else is the government going to pay me to replace? Actually, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, has enacted several different programs to promote energy efficiency through creating tax and other types of rebates. Here's the good news: If your air isn't working as well as it could be, or your home is too hot - there may be some government money out there for you. Step One: How to tell if your AC is a Clunker - Your AC may be a "clunker" if it is over 10 years old. Refrigerant technologies have improved and the part that makes the air "cold" is now much more environmentally friendly. Other things have also come a long way, such as noise reduction and energy use. It is MUCH cheaper to run a newer central air unit than an older unit. For example, if your 10 year old unit has a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency) of 8 (which most units installed in the 80s or 90s did) and you install a new basic 13 SEER unit, you can save over 30% of energy costs. If you want to go higher efficiency, say a 16 SEER which will give you the tax credit, you're looking at about a 60% savings. You have an abundance of dust in your home or not all the rooms are feeling cool. This means that your ducts aren't sealed like they should be. As units age, things come loose. Duct work is no different. If you are getting dust through the registers and into your home, that means the air system may be drawing that dust from the insulation in the attic - meaning your system is no longer sealed - and therefore no longer efficient. When your unit works harder to cool your space, you feel it as higher energy bills. Your air conditioner is LOUD - this is also related to the first point. Noise reduction technology and the shape of compressors have allowed units to run 'faster' but also much quieter. That means that every time your air kicks on, the floor won't shake like a mini earthquake. This will make your neighbors VERY happy. See other reasons to replace your air conditioner here: http://www.residential.carrier.com/knowledge/askme/replaceac.shtml and from Energy Star here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_checklist_consumers Okay, so second part - If your Air Conditioner IS a Clunker, what should you do: The answer in short: replace it, and take advantage of money the government is going to give you! More efficient units may be a little pricer, but if your unit is running the refrigerant R-22, it's going to become harder and harder to service. R-22 refrigerants are being/are almost completely phased out due to the Montreal Protocol. That means that if you need a charge for your older unit, it's going to cost you. Plus, the new units save a substantial amount of money! And besides...when does the government actually give you some cash back in such a large denomination? The tax credit for increasing your energy efficiency runs $1,500! That's up from the $300 they were offering last year. The tax credit applies to new heating and air conditioning, new windows, roofing and insulation. Check with your local dealer to see if you can trade in your clunker!