Air Conditioners Today Compared To Those 25 Years Ago

Air conditioners that are used today are unsurprisingly vastly different than the first split systems that arrived on the market in the late 1970s – in looks but also in operation. The picture above is just one example of how different the early split systems were. We’re a little bit obsessed with unique systems like this but purely for their place in air conditioning history, not because their timber casing matches the dining room table. It’s impressive this Toshiba still works so many years on, however it is guaranteed to be expensive to run.

Many people replace an air conditioning system about every 10 years, since the cost of a new system and the more affordable running costs outweigh the hassle of maintaining an older system. However sometimes they keep going to strong, even though using them is not so practical.

Ways in which new air conditioners differ:

• Less noise than old units. New systems make one twentieth of the noise. The reduction from noise is due to smother operation of fan blades and advancements in the compressor.
• Different refrigerants used are more environmentally friendly and free from ozone depleting substances.
• More energy efficient. 20 years ago air conditioning systems used about two and a half times more energy to run. Inverter systems which only operate a full power when needed and compression technology has enabled this.
• Smaller indoor and outdoor units mean they are less boxy and more sleek, making for better aesthetics in and around the home.
• New Features. New air conditioner systems can operate on timers, be activated through smart phones and can connected to economy energy tariffs to save homeowners even more on operating costs.

If you need to decide whether or not it’s time to replace your air conditioner, the team at H&H Air Conditioning in Brisbane can offer an honest assessment on whether to replace or repair your air conditioner.

Depending how much you use your air conditioner will depend how much you are likely to save. If you have a system that is a not particularly energy efficient it might be worth installing a new model, however if it’s only used for a few days a year, spending around $2000 on a new system with installation to save only 100 or so dollars a year on operating costs may not be worth it based on how you use the system. If you depend on your AC in Summer and you’re still running a window mounted relic or an antique split system as pictured above, it might be worth upgrading sooner rather than later.

Contact Queensland’s leading air conditioning company today on (07) 3276 1800 for our Brisbane branch and (07) 5477 1777 for our Sunshine Coast office.