Are you contemplating investing in a new central air conditioning unit and retiring the existing one? If you're having troubles making the decision, you're probably looking for some advice. Here, you'll find a few tips that can help you make an educated decision about this relatively large investment.

How many years of service has the existing central air unit provided you?

Generally speaking, a good, quality central air unit will provide you with 10, maybe 12 years of service before it begins causing all sorts of problems – that's if you've followed a good maintenance schedule. If you haven't done much to tend to the needs of the unit, it will provide you with far fewer years before it needs to be replaced.

Units that were manufactured years ago are nowhere near as efficient as those that are manufactured today. So, upgrading to the newer unit will help to save you on the cost of cooling your home next year.

How many repair calls do you make each year?

If you're constantly making calls for repairs, it might be time to let the old system go. You shouldn't have to pay for repair after repair if the unit is in good enough condition to get a few more years out of. Think about how much money you've spent over the past couple of years in repairs – that money could have been put towards a new unit – maybe even a year's worth of payments!

Have you seen spikes in your utility bills?

Your energy bill should remain somewhat stable throughout the summer months. Sure, there will be dips and peaks as the temperature changes, but there shouldn't be dramatic spikes. If there are, there is a serious problem that needs to be tended to.

In many cases, older systems that force an energy spike are ready for retirement. Not only will a new unit be more efficient, but it will not cause these spikes that can increase your overall bill quite a bit over the summer.

If you still don't know if it's time to upgrade to a new unit, talk with a local air conditioning company. It's possible that investing in a new unit could end up costing you less this year than it would cost to fix and run the existing unit. Hopefully, what you've found here will help to make the decision a little easier for you and you'll find the solution to your home cooling needs.