Here in Central Florida, we cannot get by without working AC. Your unit will pick the worst possible week to give up, and it usually drops hints first.
Here is how to tell whether it is time to replace your AC unit, so your property in Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven, or a nearby Central Florida community stays cool through the hottest days of the year.
Age is the first thing to check.
How old is your AC? If you cannot remember, or it has been more than 10 years, start looking at replacement. Florida heat and humidity run systems harder and shorter than the manufacturer’s rating suggests, and a unit past ten is on borrowed time even when it seems fine. Newer models are meaningfully more efficient, which is where the long-term savings come from.
When you shop, look for the ENERGY STAR label, which marks units certified above the federal minimum efficiency standard. Our team can walk you through the options during an AC installation quote. If you are cooling an addition, a garage conversion, or a room the ductwork never reached, a ductless mini-split may make more sense than upsizing the whole system, and a heat pump covers heating and cooling in one unit.
Are you starting to hear strange noises?
When your unit starts to make nonstandard noises, like squealing or clanking, get it checked. Those noises point to bigger issues such as a slipping belt or failing motor bearings. Our roundup of common air conditioner problems covers what each sound usually means.
Repair may look like the logical next step, but a professional should inspect the unit and help you work out when replacement is more cost effective, especially given the unit’s age. Bearings and belts are expensive repairs that may not resolve the underlying problem. That is the call our technicians make on an AC repair visit, and if the terms in the write-up are unfamiliar, our glossary of air conditioning lingo translates them.
What’s that smell?
The air coming out of the unit should be clean and neutral. Smoky or burning smells point to a deeper problem that often means replacement. Turn the system off at the thermostat and the breaker if you smell burning, and call for service before running it again. Musty smells are a different issue and usually an indoor air quality or condensate problem rather than a failing compressor.
R-22 Freon coolant has been phased out.
Older AC units used a refrigerant known as R-22, or Freon. It damages the ozone layer, so units are built for R-410A instead. Production and import of R-22 in the United States ended on January 1, 2020. Recovered and reclaimed R-22 can still service an existing system, but supply is limited and the price reflects it. If your unit needs a charge of R-22, the repair bill often argues for replacement on its own.
Check the efficiency rating.
Modern AC units carry a SEER2 rating that describes seasonal efficiency. Federal minimum standards rose in 2023, and the Southeast now requires a higher rating than older equipment was built to meet. If your system predates that change, it is running below what anything on the showroom floor delivers, and you are paying the difference every month. A smart thermostat recovers some of that gap on an older system, and it is worth knowing what temperature most Florida homeowners actually set.
Replacing a system sometimes turns up an undersized electrical circuit or an outdated disconnect. We do not perform electrical work, so when that comes up we coordinate a licensed electrical contractor to handle it before our install date.
Is your AC showing warning signs of failing? Call us today.
Not every symptom means replacement. Before you decide, run through the signs your AC needs a tune-up, and check whether your filter is the actual culprit: our post on changing your air conditioner filter settles that one in a minute. Regular AC maintenance is what keeps a good unit out of this conversation for another five years.
At True Plumbers & AC, we have kept Central Florida homes and businesses cool since 2009 under HVAC license CAC1820605. Whether you need an AC replacement or a repair, we will tell you straight which one you are looking at. We serve Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven, and nearby communities. Call us at (863) 667-6364, and ask about financing if the timing on a replacement is the hard part.
