Why It’s Time To Kiss That Window Air Conditioner Unit Goodbye

Remember when you could live in Seattle and not really have to worry about turning on the air conditioner, with the exception of a few days out of the year? There would be that one week when it’s really hot, but otherwise, you didn’t really need to turn on the air conditioner or could survive off of a window air conditioner unit.

That’s changing, and the start of this summer seems to prove it. In just a few months, Seattle has set several record-high temperatures. You can argue whether or not this is due to climate change, but the fact is that Seattle is getting warmer.

You may be on the fence about replacing your window air conditioner unit at this point. Keep reading to find out why it’s time to replace that window air conditioner and what you can replace it with.

They’re A Pain To Install & Uninstall

You know the drill. It’s time to install your air conditioners in the windows again. That means that you need to call a friend or two and get help with the installation.

Every year, you go through this cycle of lugging the air conditioner out of storage, bringing it upstairs, and then trying to fit it in the window just right without falling out.

Then, when the weather cools down, you have to go through the cycle all over again to uninstall the window air conditioner unit and plug it back downstairs to put it into storage. Not only that, but you need to have storage space to keep your air conditioner units.

Skyrocketing Electric Bills

Are you a customer of Seattle City Light? You can expect your electric bills to go up by about 30% over the next few years.

That’s if you don’t change your electric consumption. Add that increase on top of changing energy needs because it’s getting warmer in the summer months, and you have a recipe for a very high electric bill.

Now, do the math to run a window air conditioner unit in several rooms. That’s going to add up to a very expensive summer year in and year out. Your cooling costs are going to be as much as, if not more, than your heating costs.

You have to make sure that the air conditioning unit is properly installed. If it’s not, there could be gaps between the unit and the window frame where cold air can escape, which means that your air conditioner will work harder to maintain cooler air temperatures.

Less Natural Light in Your Home

We love to have natural light in the home. It makes the environment of the home warmer and brighter. It makes us happier, along with a number of other benefits.

When you have a window air conditioner taking up an entire window, you’re limiting the amount of natural light that comes into the home.

Another drawback is that you can’t open up the window on a cool and comfortable summer day to get fresh air into the home.

The Noise Factor of a Window Air Conditioner Unit

Try to watch TV or listen to the radio with the air conditioner off. Now turn on the air conditioner and go back to watching TV. How much higher did you have to turn up the volume?

Window air conditioner units are noisy, which is another way they can negatively impact the level of comfort in your home. It can be hard to hear someone in the other room have a conversation or watch TV at a reasonable volume level.

Your Window Air Conditioner Unit Could Be Making You Sick

You may not realize this, but your window air conditioner could be a breeding ground for bacteria and allergens. The way a window unit works is that it draws humid air into the coils, where the moisture sits unless the unit is cleaned.

This is often the perfect breeding ground for mold spores to grow and multiply. If your air conditioning unit is giving off a moldy or musty smell, you’ll need to clean it inside and out to make sure that mold isn’t infiltrating your home and impacting the indoor air quality.

You’re Already Renovating Your Home

Are you already in the middle of doing a major home renovation? You might as well make the investment in an HVAC unit. If you’re doing upgrades to increase the level of comfort or sales value in your home, an HVAC unit will help you accomplish those goals.

As you can see here, there are plenty of advantages of having central air in your home over having window air conditioning units to cool your home.

You Plan To Sell Your Home

Do you plan to sell your home in the future? A window air conditioning unit will be a drawback on the home sales price.

As a matter of fact, 69% of home buyers are willing to pay more if your home has central air conditioning. It’s something that buyers want to have because they know that they want to have more comfort in the home without the high costs.

You Need More Than One Unit

Do you want to sit in the one cool room in your home that has air conditioning? That’s the question that a lot of people face when they’re cooling their home with only one unit.

Chances are, there is more than one room in your home that you want to enjoy. You want to be able to go into any room in your home instead of the one cool room in the house.

That means that you’ll have to buy more than one air conditioning unit, install and uninstall the heavy units, and pay to have them running all summer long.

If you need more than one air conditioner unit, then you’ll need to weigh the costs of running multiple units versus installing central air. You’re likely to find that it’s more economical to install and run an HVAC unit.

Aesthetics Matter

The elephant in the room when it comes to window air conditioners that no one talks about is that they’re ugly. They just are. They’re big and bulky, and they don’t look good hanging out of the window.

You can work to hide the air conditioner unit, but it’s still an eyesore. You also have to invest the time and energy to cover the unsightly units inside and outside of your home.

Don’t forget that impressions are everything when it comes to your home. When you have unsightly items around your home, it does form an impression in the minds of visitors and potential buyers.

Less Control Over Temperature

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night freezing because you left your air conditioner running?

You need all of the sleep that you can get. Americans are generally sleep-deprived, which can result in being sluggish and less productive during the day.

If you wake up because the room is too cold, you may have an issue going back to sleep. On the other hand, if you turn the air conditioner unit off, you may not be able to sleep well because it’s too warm.

You don’t have that issue with a central air conditioning unit. It’s much easier to control the temperature and keep your temperature comfortable so you can sleep well throughout the night.

Even during the day, it’s difficult to control the temperature of a room, even with a great thermostat. You’re often switching the air conditioner on and off to get the room temperature just right.

Replace that Old Window Air Conditioner Unit Now

Temperatures continue to rise in Seattle, we’re seeing higher than average temperatures become the new normal.

This means that you need to shift your home heating and cooling strategies. You may have been able to rely on a window air conditioner unit for years, but that’s no longer the case. It’s time to upgrade your window air conditioner to save on cooling costs and make your home a much more welcoming environment to be in.

There’s less noise, more natural light, and, let’s face it, a home without a big bulky air conditioning unit hanging out the window.

A better solution is to install an HVAC system where you can easily control the temperature, and it’s much quieter. You also don’t have to worry about lugging the unit around twice a year and recruiting friends to help.

You have one system that’s easy to maintain, is cost-effective, and can ensure that your home is always comfortable, day or night.

Are you ready to have an HVAC system installed? Contact us today to find out how we can address your heating and cooling issues, or give us a call.