Do you have an air conditioner that's no longer functioning as it should? Are you wondering how you can tell if you need a new air conditioner or if you can just fix the old one? Although you can sometimes get your old air conditioner working again so that it can be used for one more year, this isn't always the case. Here are some things you can check to see if you need a new air conditioner.

Change the filter

Even if the filter doesn't look visibly dirty, there may still be enough small dust particles to at least partially block airflow. Without sufficient air going through the air conditioner, it won't be able to cool your home as well as it should. Too much dust in the filter can also cause dust to be drawn into the ducts, causing clogs that need to be cleaned out by professionals. Even if you do opt for a brand-new air conditioning installation, it's unlikely that you'll need to swap filter sizes, so buying a new filter for your current air conditioner isn't going to be a waste of money.

Vent inspection

Sometimes, the cause of a too-warm house is the cooled air being able to escape into the attic or crawl space where the ducts are located. This can happen as a result of the minute vibrations caused by the running air conditioner. Instead of needing a whole new air conditioning installation, it could be that a relatively minor duct repair will resolve the issue and allow your home to be cooled properly by your current air conditioner. If it turns out that there are no gaps or holes in your ducting, you may need to purchase a whole new air conditioner after all.

House addition

Have you recently added an extra room to your home? If you have, or if you have otherwise reconfigured your interior space, your current air conditioner may no longer be sufficient to cool your home. While your current air conditioner may actually be working fine, you may still be in need of a brand new air conditioning installation in order to compensate for the additional space that has been added to your home. It's also possible that you simply need to have your existing ducts reconfigured to more efficiently move air through your home, now that you've got a home addition. This is something that you'll need to discuss with a professional to find out if it applies to you.

For more information, contact a company like  A-Thompson Refrigeration Air Conditioning & Heating Service Inc.