A central air conditioning system is a significant and important investment in any home. Like other home appliances, you hope you’ll get the most years possible from your air conditioner and not have to worry about replacing it for a long time. Sometimes it’s easy to imagine that the cool air will just keep blowing from the AC whenever you need it.
Of course, this isn’t possible. Any mechanical system as hard-working as an air conditioner will wear down over time, even with the best in regular maintenance and targeted repairs. How long can you expect your AC to run? We’ll look into this question, as well as how far you want to push an aging AC, below.
If you keep a close track on your monthly utility bills, you’ll expect to see electricity use rise in summer. Your air conditioning system consumes a large amount of electricity to run (the compressor consumes about 3,500 watts per hour, more than almost any household appliance), so when the AC becomes a regular part of summer days, it will raise the electricity bill.
