What Is the Average AC Lifespan in Canada and How Can It Be Improved?

It is hard to overestimate how much the ability to control the temperature of our homes contributes to our quality of life. In Canada alone, people spend more than $12 billion each year on the services of contractors for heating and air conditioning units!

That is just some indicator of how much people value proper home temperature control.

Of course, people might not have to spend quite so much on the services of contractors if they knew how to extend their AC lifespan. Most people don’t know about a number of tips that can help their AC develop far fewer problems and last several years longer. Other people wonder how long they should expect a typical act system to last.

Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about the average AC lifespan and how to extend them as much as possible!

How Long Is the Average AC Lifespan?

In most cases, a central air conditioner should have useful service lifespan of at least 10 years, and sometimes up to 15 years or longer.

There is a big difference between how long the average air conditioning system last and how long a system can last with proper treatment.

Some AC repairs and maintenance are to be expected during that time of course. As with all appliances or mechanical systems, parts do wear out over time and require replacing, though ideally, that won’t mean major repairs and a good warranty should help.

However, some systems will break down a lot sooner if people put unnecessary stress on them. If you want your air conditioner to last as long as it can, follow these important tips!

Schedule Regular AC Maintenance

Some people wait until their air conditioner stops working before calling for help. Unfortunately, this leads to bigger costs in the long run.

When problems with your air conditioner first start, they will be small. That will make them easy to repair. Because they are easy to repair, it will be more affordable to repair them.

On the other hand, if you wait until your air conditioner breaks down completely, it will need much more extensive repairs. That means it is more efficient to manage repairs as soon as problems start to show up.

However, it is even more efficient to prevent even small problems from developing. To do this, you will need to schedule regular maintenance. That way, the professionals can take care of your air conditioner even before it starts to accrue damage.

Furthermore, most central AC warranties require an annual tune-up to be performed in order to maintain full coverage, so it’s worth staying on top of this!

Replace Your Air Filter Regularly

Not every part of AC maintenance requires the help of professionals. Everybody should learn how to install a new air filter for their HVAC system. For most Canadians, that will mean replacing the filter on your furnace.

Your air conditioner processes huge quantities of air. Fortunately, that means that your air conditioner plays a part in keeping the air clean and filtered in your home. However, to do this, it has to capture the contaminants in the air so that they do not dissipate throughout the air of your house.

Because your central air conditioner uses the same ductwork and blower motor as your furnace, they use the same air filter. However, it will start to clog up over time. The more clogged it gets, the harder your air conditioner will have to work to perform its basic function.

If your air conditioner is running with a clogged filter, it is working harder than it needs to. Although it may still be able to keep your home at the right temperature, it will start to wear out faster.

In other cases, a clogged air filter impedes your air conditioner so much that your home will not be able to stay cool as efficiently.

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Use the Auto Setting

Many people do not take the time to understand what each of the settings on their air conditioner is useful for. When your air conditioner fan is set to on, the fan will run constantly.

In some cases, you might be able to choose whether it runs at a slow speed constantly or a fast one. Either way, it is not necessary for your air conditioner to run its fan constantly. That means that you do not need to have the fan set on.

Instead, you can increase the lifespan of your AC by setting the fan to auto. That means that the fan will turn itself on and off according to the needs of cooling your home. Saving your air conditioner from doing extra work can help extend its lifespan.

Observe the Condenser

One of the best ways to tell if your air conditioner is working well is by looking at the condenser. The condenser sits outside your home. That makes it much more vulnerable to damage than the rest of your system.

A bad storm or an unlucky incident outside could damage your condenser. Unfortunately, this sometimes happens without the homeowner even knowing it. That is why it is important for homeowners to check their condensers occasionally.

If your condenser does not have any signs of damage, you should also check for airflow. Your condenser needs plenty of access to air.

If there is vegetation or anything else blocking the condenser, your air conditioner will have to work harder to function. On top of that, it is best if you can avoid a lot of dust around your condenser. Although your air filter can filter that dust-out, you will improve your central AC unit lifespan if it does not have to.

Insulate Your Home

The better your home insulation, the easier it will be to keep your home cool. That means that your insulation can do some of the work instead of your AC having to do it all. Taking some of the load off your central AC means helping it last longer.

Invest in a Smart Thermostat

Not every room of the whole needs to be cool every hour of the day. A smart thermostat can make it so that your AC doesn’t bother to try to keep rooms cool when it is unnecessary.

Investing in a smart thermostat is one more way to make sure an expensive air conditioner doesn’t have to work unless it needs to, further extending its lifespan and reducing AC repair needs.

Understand How to Improve Your AC Lifespan 

We hope learning about the average AC lifespan and how to extend it has been helpful for you. Many people are concerned about how expensive a good AC system can be. However, with the use of these strategies, you can decrease maintenance and repair costs and make the most of your system.

If you’re in the market for a new central air conditioning system, get quotes from our Certified local contractor partners today!

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