An air conditioner can last 20 years or even more. Of course, provided it is installed and operated correctly, which includes regular maintenance.
Any equipment has its official service life. It is usually indicated in the instructions. For example, in the documentation for a household split system, one of the manufacturers indicates an official service life of 7 years, subject to compliance with the rules for installation and operation of the equipment. This does not mean that after its expiration, the equipment will necessarily fail. So what is an “official service life” and how does it differ from a “warranty period”?
The warranty period is the period during which, if a defect is found in the product, the manufacturer or seller is obliged to satisfy the consumer’s demands regarding the product’s defects. Up to and including a refund. That is, if the cause of any malfunction is a manufacturing defect, the manufacturer will return the money paid for the product or repair or replace the equipment at its own expense.
Service life is the period of time during which the manufacturer is liable only for significant defects of the product that prevent its operation. Significant defects include faults that cannot be eliminated at all or without disproportionate costs, as well as those that occur repeatedly and even after elimination. In this case, claims can be made against the manufacturer even after the end of the warranty, but within the service life.
And now all the terms have expired. The air conditioner is regularly serviced, the parts are not worn out, all functions are performed in full.
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Is it time to change? – No. Why? Let it continue working.
And what if a breakdown occurs? Here you should understand how much the repair will cost. How significant the malfunction is. If, for example, the remote control has broken down, then, of course, everything will be “without much bloodshed”. You buy a new one – perhaps a universal one – and continue using it. But what if breakdowns start happening one after another? First the remote control has broken down, then the heat exchanger, the fan, etc. In this case, we recommend not throwing money away on repairs and replacing the equipment. Otherwise, constant breakdowns and their elimination will become equivalent to or exceed the cost of new equipment. If the compressor of the split system has “ordered a long life”, replacing the air conditioner is the best option.
There are factors that make you think about replacing your old air conditioner with a new one even before the equipment breaks down.
Severe wear of the internal parts of the split system.
The air conditioner has started working louder than usual. Noises, grinding, and whistling have appeared.
Increased power consumption.
Often, it is the overheating of the air conditioner that causes excessive power consumption. It can occur due to improper operation of the fan or compressor, or low refrigerant level.
Moving (when you move into a place where a split system is already installed).
The first thing you need to do in this case is to call a service center specialist. Even if the previous owners assured you that the equipment was in good working order and was regularly serviced. A qualified specialist will tell you whether it is worth using this equipment or whether it is better to replace it.
Outdated air conditioner.
Equipment that is more than 10 years old may not have the functions that modern models have. Such as intelligent control, scheduled temperature adjustment, heating operation, and much more. You will not be able to increase the level of microclimate comfort if the old split system lacks these modern “features”.
Old routes.
Over time, the split system communications become unusable. The drainage hose dries out and condensate leaks form. Copper routes, although highly resistant to corrosion and temperature changes, still wear out sooner or later. Coolant leaks appear.
In case of a malfunction, service specialists will help you understand whether it is worth replacing the air conditioner with a new one or repairing the old one. They will assess the condition of the equipment and advise the best solution to the problem.
