Air Conditioners Also Have a "Shelf Life". If on a Tight Budget, Don't Rush to Replace. Try This and It Could Last a Few More Years

2025-03-14

Air conditioners are truly an indispensable appliance in our homes. The sweltering summer days can be really uncomfortable, especially when it comes to sleeping at night. Without an air conditioner, it's hard to fall asleep. So, the usage rate of air conditioners in our homes is quite high. However, over time, air conditioners are likely to develop minor problems. Some may stop heating, while others may stop cooling.

Facing such situations, many people usually seek professional repair services, and those who can afford it may replace the unit with a new one. In fact, these problems don't necessarily call for a new purchase, as most of these issues occur because the air conditioner needs to be refilled with refrigerant. Today, I'll use the knowledge I've learned to analyze these air - conditioner - related matters for you. Let's see if the same problems exist in your home.

To be honest, I don't have an exact answer regarding the general lifespan of an air conditioner. For example, my air conditioner developed some minor problems after seven or eight years, while my friend's air conditioner has been in use for over ten years without any major issues, except that the outdoor unit makes a bit more noise, but it doesn't affect the user experience. So, air conditioners of better quality can really last for more than ten years without problems, while those of lower quality may develop some minor problems in basically five or six years. Therefore, the service life of an air conditioner is related to its quality to a certain extent.

Today, I'll specifically talk about the most common problem of air conditioners: not cooling! Or having extremely poor cooling performance. Many people will usually seek repair services when they encounter this problem. In fact, those with experience know that this is a problem with the air - conditioner's refrigerant.

How long does an air conditioner need to be used before adding refrigerant?

Under normal usage, an air conditioner that has been used for more than five years may need to have its refrigerant added. If your air conditioner needs refrigerant added after only two or three years, there must be something wrong with the air conditioner itself, or you may have used the air conditioner very frequently in these years. If your air conditioner has been in use for more than five years, it's really necessary to check whether it needs to be refilled. Otherwise, adding refrigerant after it has completely run out may have some impact on the machine.
Of course, there are also cases where refrigerant needs to be added in less than five years. This is mainly manifested in the return air pressure being too small, less than 0.4 MPa. Generally, in summer, the low - pressure pipe connected to the outdoor unit is not cool, or the air blown out by the outdoor exhaust fan is not hot. In such cases, it indicates that refrigerant needs to be added.
When moving the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, the refrigerant needs to be recovered. However, if the recovery is not done properly, refrigerant will be lost, and it needs to be replenished in a timely manner. Otherwise, you will find that the cooling effect of the air conditioner becomes significantly weaker after moving.

Is refrigerant expensive?
There are generally two types of refrigerants. One is the common R22 refrigerant, and the other is the 410i environmentally - friendly refrigerant. The price difference between them is quite large. Adding the common refrigerant once usually costs only 100 yuan, while the price of the environmentally - friendly type is about three times that.

In conclusion, air conditioners have truly improved our lives significantly. So, we should take good care of them. Check them from time to time, or simply learn some repair and maintenance skills. You'll find that air - conditioner problems are actually quite simple.

Air Conditioners Also Have a

Besides being "beyond repair", the main problem is not cooling. If it doesn't cool, we add refrigerant. If it's beyond repair, we buy a new one. At the same time, get to know the specifications and models of the refrigerant. I believe that after reading this article, you should have a basic understanding of air conditioners.